Moscow-Sana
Russia believed that the extension of the START treaty to reduce and limit strategic offensive weapons gives time for future negotiations with the United States, noting that it is awaiting an American response regarding proposals and specific considerations it presented in this regard.
"The extension of the START treaty will provide time for comprehensive Russian-American negotiations on the future control of nuclear missile weapons, taking into account all the factors that affect strategic stability," said the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, today, as reported by Sputnik. Russia has made specific proposals and considerations in this regard and the ball is now in Washington’s court.
Zakharova reviewed Russian proposals to calm the situation in Europe in the context of ending the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Weapons Treaty, which means a mutually verifiable moratorium on the deployment of medium and short-range missiles on European soil.
She said it could be more useful to deal with these issues than to argue in a ridiculous manner that Russia is building its capabilities and military strength around NATO.
Russia and the United States signed the START 3 treaty in Prague in April 2010 to replace START 1, which expired in December 2009.
Last September, Russia renewed the warning that the US termination of the START 3 treaty would be a grave mistake, expressing its readiness to extend the agreement.
