Pentagon spokesman John Kirby appreciated the decision of US President Joe Biden to extend the Treaty on Measures to Further Reduce and Limit Strategic Offensive Arms (START, unofficially known as START-3) with Russia. Reported by CNN.
“Russia’s compliance with this treaty has served our national interests well, and the Americans will be much safer if START III is maintained and extended. If START III is not extended soon, it will weaken America’s understanding of Russian long-range nuclear forces.” Kirby said.
The extension of the treaty until 2026 will give time and space for Russia and the US to study new verifiable arms control agreements, “which could further reduce the risk to Americans,” he said.
Earlier, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that the US authorities are in favor of extending START-3 for five years.
Biden’s intentions to extend START-3 were announced by the candidate for the post of Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on January 20. He said that the deadline on the issue of extending the missile treaty will come very soon, with this issue the president’s team will come to the legislators almost immediately after the politician takes office.
The Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty was signed in 2010 by the presidents of Russia and the United States – Dmitry Medvedev and Barack Obama. The agreement came into force in 2011 and expires in February 2021.