The United States has shown a fairly responsible approach, separating the issue of extending the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START, unofficial name – START-3) from other problems in bilateral relations. This was stated by Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia Sergei Ryabkov, quoted by TASS.
“It’s good that in this particular case in Washington, people still began to be guided by the question, sorry, flies separately, and cutlets separately,” the diplomat said.
Ryabkov stressed that the extension of the missile treaty gives the parties another five years to negotiate the future of arms control. “The Russian side is fully prepared for this and calls on the American colleagues to join such negotiations, to accept our proposal, without swinging, as soon as they have formed an appropriate negotiating team,” he said.
Earlier on Wednesday, Ryabkov said that Russia had agreed to extend the missile treaty on its own terms – the document would be extended for five years. According to him, this will give time for in-depth talks with Washington on strategic security. Later, the State Duma ratified the agreement to extend the treaty.