Ten years ago, on April 8, 2010, Treaty on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms (New START) was signed between Russia and the U.S. in Prague.
The document called for the reduction of up to 1,550 nuclear warheads, up to 700 units of intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarines and heavy bombers. The document entered into force on February 5, 2011, and on February 5, 2018, the parties announced the fulfillment of their obligations.
Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev said that Russia is ready to extend the New START immediately, but the United States does not seek to "conduct honest dialogue." "Our position, voiced by President Vladimir Putin, remains unchanged," Medvedev wrote in his exclusive op-ed for TASS.
According to Medvedev, the extension of the Treaty "could allow time for the development of a new and, possibly, even a multilateral strategic arms control system." "If the New START deal ceases to exist, its demise will have extremely serious consequences for international security," the Deputy Chairman of the Security Council warned.
