Russia’s Putin signs bill extending nuclear arms treaty with US

Following the recent phone conversation with Joe Biden, Vladimir Putin has signed a bill extending the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) nuclear arms control treaty.

The two presidents of the superpowers have agreed on the extension of an important nuclear treaty. The new Oval Office earlier offered a five-year extension to the New START, which is due to expire on Feb. 5. The logical decision welcomed by Kremlin.

The New START Treaty, signed in 2010 by former US President Barack Obama and former Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, limits the number of strategic nuclear warheads both countries can deploy to 1,550.

The newly extended treaty restricts the number of intercontinental ballistic missiles (IBMs), submarine-launched ballistic missiles, and bombers equipped to deliver nuclear weapons, and includes inspections to verify compliance with the treaty.