Kremlin says talks to decide future of nuclear pact with US

Extending the New START Treaty will depend on the position of the US — spokesman

The possibility of extending a pivotal Russia-US arms control pact is to be discussed in prospective talks with Washington, the Kremlin said yesterday.

President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said the prospects of extending the New START Treaty that is set to expire in 2021 will “depend on the position of our American partners” and require negotiations. He wouldn’t say whether the Kremlin favours extending the 2010 pact that limited Russian and US nuclear arsenals to no more than 1,550 deployed nuclear warheads each.

Speaking in a conference call with reporters, Peskov pointed to a “certain break in dialogue on strategic security issues” during the Obama administration, and said both parties now need “an update of information and positions.”

Russia-US relations have been strained over the Ukrainian crisis, the war in Syria and the allegations of Russia hacking of the Democrats in the US presidential election. The Kremlin has welcomed President Donald Trump’s promise to mend the broken ties.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview published yesterday in the daily Izvestia that developing “constructive and mutually beneficial bilateral ties will benefit both Russia and the US and have a positive influence on the situation in the world.”

Peskov denied a report by the Washington Post claiming that Michael Flynn, the retired general who is now Trump’s national security adviser, had discussed a possible review of anti-Russian sanctions with the Russian ambassador to Washington in December.