Putin proposes Moscow, Washington extend their New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty

Russian President Vladimir Putin  yesterday proposed that Moscow and Washington extend their New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) that expires in February. He proposed to extend the accord for at least a year without imposing any conditions.

The New START was signed in 2010. It limits the numbers of strategic nuclear warheads, missiles and bombers that Russia and the United



States can deploy. On Wednesday, Moscow denied U.S. assertions that the two sides had reached an agreement in principle.

A failure to extend the pact would remove all constraints on US and Russian deployments of strategic nuclear weapons and their delivery systems, fueling a post-Cold War arms race and tensions between Moscow and Washington.