Russia possesses new weapons that the US does not have in its arsenal, but it is nevertheless willing to discuss the issue with Washington, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday while addressing permanent members of the Russian Security Council.
The president also suggested extending the New START Treaty for one year without any preconditions and to discuss all arms control parameters during that year.
According to the Russian president, the final remaining arms treaty between the US and Russia has served its purpose without fail, noting that dismantling it without reaching an alternative deal would be deplorable.
Putin also asked Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to formulate Russia's position on the treaty, present it to the United States, and attempt to receive a clear response from them quickly. Lavrov promised that he would do so "as soon as possible".
The Russian Foreign Ministry previously stated that two out of five new types of weapons could be covered by the New START, without specifying what kind of arms would be included in the treaty.
The New START, signed in 2010, is the only currently valid Russian-US arms reduction deal. The treaty expires in 2021 and the United States remains undecided on whether to extend it or not, while Russia has repeatedly stressed that it is ready for dialogue.
