Moscow’s initiative to extend New START deal

The United States has not yet responded to Russia’s proposal to extend the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov told the Rossiya 24 television on Wednesday.

"[Russian President] Vladimir Putin in Helsinki suggested sitting together and thinking about what are going to do with that treaty and said that we are ready to discuss the idea to extend it. We have received no answer from the Americans to date," he said.

"I do very much hope that our American partners will not delay their answers to Russia’s proposals," Antonov added.

The New START Treaty signed by Russia and the United States on April 8, 2010, came into force in 2011. According to the document, each party must meet its strategic arms reduction limits within seven years after its enactment, and in the future the total number would not exceed 700 deployed ICBMs (intercontinental ballistic missiles), SLBMs (submarine-launched ballistic missiles) and heavy bombers, and 1,550 warheads emplaced on them, and 800 deployed and non-deployed ICBM launchers and SLBM launchers, and deployed and non-deployed heavy bombers. New START will remain in force for 10 years (until 2021), if it is not replaced by a new agreement before then. It may also be extended for no more than five years (that is, until 2026) if both sides agree.