MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Dmitry Medvedev says talks with the U.S. on a new arms control treaty are difficult but the two sides have so far agreed on many points.
The new treaty will succeed the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, or START, which expired on Dec. 5. The two countries had hoped to reach a deal before the end of the year, but were unable to resolve outstanding problems.
Medvedev said Saturday the talks are tough going but “we have taken a fairly serious step forward and to a significant degree have reached agreement on our positions.”
Medvedev and President Barack Obama agreed in July to cut the number of nuclear warheads each country has to between 1,500 and 1,675 under a new treaty.