ANKARA. Aug 14 (Interfax) - If the United States is interested in extending the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) with Russia, negotiations on the matter should start right now, and if Washington wants to ask Moscow any questions, this should be done as part of negotiations on strategic stability, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.
"I've heard statements by numerous experts and administration officials that they are interested in extending the New START. To this end, negotiations should start right away, as President Vladimir Putin said," Lavrov said before a meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in Ankara on Tuesday.
"I can only remind you that we reaffirmed our willingness to resume dialogue on all matters concerning strategic stability both at President Putin's meeting with President Trump and at my meeting with Secretary of State Pompeo in Helsinki, and if the U.S. wants to professionally ask us some specific questions, this is the right forum to do so," he said.
Lavrov also described the U.S. administration as unpredictable.
"As to what the matter is about, it's hard to speak and guess now what will happen in Washington within the next few days or hours, it's quite futile to do so," he said.
Asked whether Washington would discuss how much the new Russian weapons comply with New START with Moscow and whether it might use this as a pretext to withdraw from the treaty, Lavrov said, "As far as I understand, Washington mentioned New START at Congress, when the Pentagon's budget was discussed. This legislation is not about the U.S. desire to discuss matters with us but about the administration's instruction to look into the matter and ask us certain questions."