December 25th local time, Yermakov, director of the Department of Non-Proliferation and Arms Control of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in an interview with Russian media that Russia is willing to include “vanguard” hypersonic missiles in the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty.
Yermakov stressed that although the position of the United States on arms control is not constructive, Russia has taken the initiative to include “vanguard” hypersonic missiles in the coverage of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty.
In addition, despite legal and procedural problems, Russia is willing to discuss this issue within a multilateral framework.
Earlier, the Russian Embassy in the United States issued a statement calling on the United States to extend the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty. The statement pointed out that the extension of the treaty would benefit both countries and the whole world.
The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty signed by Russia and the United States in 2010 expires on February 5, 2021.
The treaty aims to limit the number of nuclear warheads and delivery vehicles deployed by the United States and Russia.
After the INF Treaty between the United States and Russia expired in 2019, the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty became the only arms control treaty between the two countries.
Russian President Putin proposed in October this year to extend the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, which expires next year, unconditionally for at least one year.
