"I'd also counter the narrative that the [United States] president isn't interested in the New START", Thompson said when asked about concerns regarding Trump's commitment to the treaty. "We've had discussions, we're in an inter-agency process now. We've had the discussions on the extension, what it means, where we are".
Thompson said she wanted to counter the notion that Trump does not want to renew the agreement.
"I would actually push back on that assessment", Thompson said when asked about what a moderator called "Trump's expressed disinterest in extending New START".
Thomson noted that the United States is continuing to abide by the treaty's terms, adding that "we met the central limits, as did our Russian counterparts last year".
READ MORE: 'As Soon as New START Expires, US Could Return to All Arsenal' — Source
US and Russian officials also continue to meet at the expert level, she said.
The Russia-US New START Treaty entered into force in 2011 and covers a 10-year period with the possibility of a five-year extension. It is based on several previous joint non-proliferation arrangements and limits the number of deployed intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine-launched ballistic missiles, nuclear-armed bombers, and nuclear warheads.
