MOSCOW. June 13 (Interfax) - Russia has called on the United States to start talks on extending the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), but it is still unclear what stance the U.S. is taking on this matter, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said.
"We have no understanding of the substantive side of U.S. policies on some very important issues such as, first and foremost, extending the New START," Ryabkov told reporters on Thursday,
He said that the treaty expires on February 5, 2021 and may be extended for five years.
"Russia is calling for that to happen. This should be addressed now, both in terms of organizing the extension - there is a procedure in place, including the option of involving the legislative branch of power, and that will take time - and in terms of tackling the well-known problem of the United States' artificially exempting a large number of its strategic carriers declared re-equipped for non-nuclear missions from the count," he said.