Russia 'Categorically against' Trump's Possible Suspension of New START Treaty
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Russia is categorically against the possible suspension of the New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) and will insist on extension of the document, Viktor Ozerov, chairman of the defense committee in the Russian upper house of parliament, told Sputnik on Friday.
US President Donald Trump called the treaty "one-sided," as well as a "bad deal" in an interview with Reuters published on Thursday.
"Of course, Russia is categorically against this treaty being suspended, we will insist on its extension," Ozerov said.
According to Ozerov, the New START deal is "fundamental to global security."
The treaty with the formal name Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms was signed between Russia and the United States in April 2010 in Prague, and entered into force on February 5, 2011.
The Treaty’s duration is ten years — until 2021, unless superseded by a subsequent agreement. Under the Treaty, the United States and Russia must meet the Treaty’s central limits on strategic arms by February 5, 2018, that is seven years from the date the Treaty entered into force.
The Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty treaty requires the parties to the contract to reduce and limit the number of deployed and non-deployed strategic offensive arms. It stipulates that the parties may agree to extend the treaty for a period of no more than five years.
Before the end of his tenure, former US President Barack Obama had made a proposal to continue reduction of nuclear arsenals of both Russia and the United States. The Russian side has rejected the proposal citing a number of unresolved issues in bilateral relations, such as extension of the US missile defense system. Washington has also attempted to prolong a treaty, however the Russian Foreign Ministry said that it had not received an official proposal.