WORLD / EUROPE
Moscow offers Washington "any option" to extend New START: Lavrov
Published: Dec 12, 2019 09:00 AM

The Lockheed Martin's THAAD missile defense system is seen during the 3rd annual Made in America product showcase at the White House in Washington D.C., the United States, July 15, 2019. (Xinhua/Ting Shen)


Moscow has offered Washington "any option" to extend the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), which expires on Feb. 5, 2021, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said.

"I'll answer briefly: this covers the gist of our discussion," Lavrov told a press conference in Washington after talks with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, according to a transcript released by the Russian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday.

Lavrov said that the fate of the treaty, which is effectively the last instrument in control over the strategic offensive arms of Russia and the United States, was in the hands of the two countries.

He added that after Moscow made its proposal, it was up to Washington to act.