Putin and US President Joe Biden spoke by telephone on Tuesday, expressing “satisfaction” at the exchange of diplomatic notes between the two countries over the renewal of the treaty. The Russian parliament voted on Wednesday to ratify the five-year extension.
The treaty limits the number of strategic offensive weapons that both countries can have.
The treaty limits each side to no more than 700 deployed intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) and heavy bombers; no more than 1 550 nuclear warheads on deployed ICBMs, deployed SLBMs and heavy nuclear bombers; and a total of 800 deployed and non-deployed ICBM launchers, SLBM launchers and heavy bombers.
“The renewal of the Treaty conforms to the national interests of the Russian Federation, makes it possible to maintain the transparency and predictability of strategic relations between Russia and the United States and to support global strategic stability; this will have a positive effect on the international situation, and contribute to the nuclear disarmament process, ”the Kremlin said in a statement released Friday night.
She added that it was “the only remaining treaty that limits the Russian nuclear forces and is an anchor of strategic stability between our two countries.”