Russia says it welcomes US proposal on extension of New START

MOSCOW - The Kremlin announced Friday that it welcomes the proposal of the United States concerning the extension of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), adding that everything will depend on the details of the proposal.

"Russia stands in favor of the preservation of the New START and for the extension of this treaty, where a time lag could be used for conducting appropriate negotiations," the TASS news agency reported, citing Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

It is significant to take each other's concerns into consideration, Peskov said.

When commenting on whether Moscow received a formal proposal from Washington on the extension of the treaty, Peskov noted that there are currently no details on this.

He reiterated that Russia has yet to find out what the United States will propose, adding that Russia's position "is well-known and consistent."

Citing US officials, multiple media outlets reported that the Joe Biden administration would seek a full five-year extension of the New START, which will expire on Feb 5.

In 2010, Washington and Moscow signed the New START, which stipulates limits to the numbers of deployed nuclear warheads and strategic delivery systems by both.

The New START, the last remaining nuclear arms control treaty in force between the two nuclear superpowers, can be extended by a maximum of five years with the consent of the two countries.