Putin ordered the State Department to try to get “at least some clear answer” from the Americans as soon as possible about the future of the START 3 treaty.
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“I have a proposal to extend the current agreement without any conditions for at least a year,” the Russian president told TASS.
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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned that the current agreement would expire on February 4, 2021. Putin added that there would then be “a threat that the whole world would be left without this agreement.”
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“It would be extremely unfortunate if the treaty expired and was not replaced by another similar founding document,” Putin added, noting that the START treaty serves its purpose of “limiting and slowing down arms races and arms control.”
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Russia came up with a similar proposal last year, but without success.
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Russia is also willing to negotiate new hypersonic weapons
Putin added that he was willing to negotiate an extension of the agreement: “It is clear that we have new weapons systems that the American side does not have, so not now. We do not refuse to discuss this issue. ”Putin came across new hypersonic weapons he already had in his arsenal.
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In 2010, the United States signed an agreement with Russia at Prague Castle called the new START or START 3, which limits the number of strategic nuclear weapons to 700 intercontinental ballistic missiles, ballistic missiles launched from submarines and nuclear bombers, which can have a total of 1,550 warheads and bombs. There can be 800 discharged equipment and carriers, including bombers, in the armament of each country.
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