Russian president signs law to extend nuclear arms treaty with US

SANAA, Jan. 30 (YPA) – Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law on Friday ratifying the extension of New START, a key arms control treaty with the United States, a week before it was due to expire, the Kremlin said in a statement.

“The Federal Law was adopted by the State Duma on January 27, 2021, and approved by the Federation Council on the same day, and provides for a five-year extension of the agreement until February 5, 2026,” the Kremlin said in a statement.

The treaty, which is officially known as Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms, was initially signed between Russia and the United States in April 2010 in Prague.

The treaty establishes limitations of strategic nuclear missile launchers and has provisions concerning “inspection, conversion, and elimination of strategic offensive weapons”.

It requires both sides to limit the number of deployed nuclear warheads to 1,550, deployed ICBMs and bombers to 700, and deployed and non-deployed ICBM launchers and bombers to 800.

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