The Russian Information Agency quoted Sergey Ryabkov, Deputy Russian Foreign Minister, as saying today, Wednesday, that Russia and the United States have agreed to extend the "NewStart" treaty to reduce nuclear weapons for a period of 5 years, in accordance with Moscow's terms.
The Kremlin had said yesterday, Tuesday, that the two countries agreed to extend the treaty that was concluded in 2010, and it was scheduled to expire next month.
The draft law appeared on the Russian State Duma website on Tuesday evening, and an explanatory note linked to the bill said, "On January 26, Russia and the United States reached an agreement to extend the treaty."
The bill was released after the first telephone conversation between Putin and US President Joe Biden, Tuesday evening.
After the call, the Kremlin said in a statement that the two leaders "expressed satisfaction" over the extension talks.
He added that in the coming days, "the two parties will ensure the continuation of this important international legal mechanism for the mutual limitation of nuclear missile arsenals."
Negotiations to extend the treaty stalled during the term of former US President Donald Trump, with his administration insisting that China should join the agreement, despite Beijing's categorical refusal.
And the Treaty of "NewStart" set a ceiling on the number of nuclear warheads that the two most prominent nuclear powers - Moscow and Washington - could deploy at 1,550.