The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, signed by Presidents Dmitry Medvedev and Barack Obama in 2010, is now the last major nuclear arms limitation treaty in force between the nuclear superpowers. The treaty's future was called into question after the Trump administration threatened not to renew it unless China joined.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has welcomed the Biden administration's plans to extend the New START agreement, saying the extension should be the first step toward expanding global arms control.
“An extension of the New START Treaty is not the end. It should be the beginning of renewed efforts to strengthen international arms control, to look into how we can cover more weapons systems and also include more nations such as China,” he added.
Earlier Friday, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki announced that Biden would seek to extend New START, which is set to expire in February, for another five years.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow supports the extension in principle, but has yet to study the details of Biden's proposal. Previously, the spokesman indicated, the US side had “put forward certain conditions for the extension”, some of which “were absolutely unacceptable for us, so let us see what the Americans offer now before making any comment”.
Members of the Biden administration publicly hinted at the need to extend New START before his inauguration, with Secretary of State…
