Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed to extend the Treaty on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms (START) for at least one year without additional conditions. This is the position he outlined at a meeting with permanent members of the Russian Security Council on Friday.
"I have a proposal, in particular, to extend the current Treaty without any conditions for at least one year," the Russian leader said. "In order to be able to conduct meaningful negotiations on all parameters of the problems that are regulated by such treaties, so that not to leave our countries and all states of the world that are interested in maintaining strategic stability, without such a fundamental document as the Treaty on Strategic Offensive Arms," Putin said.
Putin also instructed the Russian Foreign Ministry to soon try to get a "clear answer" from the US about the prospects for extending the START-3.
"Please formulate our position to our American partners, and in the nearest future try to get a clear answer from them," Putin said.
The role of the START
Putin described as a very sad event the possible termination of the START system.
"It would be extremely sad if the treaty ceased to exist at all and would not be replaced by another fundamental document of this kind," the head of state said.
"In all previous years the START-3 has been working properly, fulfilling its fundamental role of limiting, deterring and controlling the arms race," the Russian leader stated.
"It is clear that we have new weapons systems, which the US side does not have, at least for now. But we don't refuse to discuss this side of the issue either," Putin pointed out.
At the meeting, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov noted that the START-3 ends on February 4, 2021. "So we have a complete threat to stay and leave, in general, the whole world without this treaty? - the President specified. "And in general, without any other instrument, which would provide at least some joint approaches to maintaining strategic stability. Everything else is either already destroyed or proposed by the Americans to stop," the foreign minister replied.
About the treaty
The USA and Russia signed the START Treaty in 2010. According to its terms, each of the parties reduces its strategic offensive arms in such a way that seven years after its entry into force and further on, their aggregate numbers do not exceed 700 deployed intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), submarine ballistic missiles (SLBMs) and heavy bombers (TBs), 1,550 warheads on them, 800 deployed and non-deployed ICBM, SLBM and TB launchers. The Treaty shall remain in force for 10 years (until February 5, 2021), unless replaced before that date by a subsequent agreement. It may also be extended for not more than five years (i.e. until 2026) by mutual agreement of the parties.
Moscow has repeatedly urged Washington not to delay the possibility of extending the treaty and has characterized it as the gold standard in the field of disarmament.
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Photo: officical website of President of RF
Based on materials TASS