Putin proposes extending the work of the "New Start" treaty for an additional year "without conditions"

Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested Friday that Moscow and Washington extend for a year, without conditions, the "New START" treaty, the last basic agreement on nuclear weapons between the two countries.

A Kremlin statement quoted Putin as saying during the Security Council meeting, "I have a proposal - which is to extend the current agreement without any preconditions for at least a year so that we can conduct real negotiations."

Putin asked Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov "to formulate a position to try to arrive at a somewhat coherent response, at least in the near future."

Putin said it would be "extremely regrettable" if the treaty expired without being replaced by a similar one.

He stated that "New Start" had succeeded in controlling the arms race, adding that the international community should not be left without "a basic document of this kind."

Lavrov stated that Moscow prefers to extend the existing treaty for an additional five years without conditions, but is nevertheless ready to reach a new agreement with the Americans.

He said that Moscow had presented Washington with some "concrete proposals."

He stated that the United States responded with a number of proposals, which were described as preconditions for the extension of "New Start".

The new START agreement was signed in April 2020 but entered into force in February 2011. The term of the agreement is ten years, subject to extension.

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