Ryabkov: Russia will continue contacts with US on START as necessary

Moscow will continue contacts with Washington about the Treaty on Measures for Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms as necessary, but so far no significant results have been observed in this direction, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said in an interview with RT Arabic, Report informs via TASS.

"Contacts with the Americans will continue as necessary. We cannot say that we have any great results. But Moscow does not refuse dialogue, and we are open to it," the deputy minister said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on February 21 that Moscow was suspending participation in the START, but was not withdrawing from it. He stressed that before returning to discussing the issue of continuing work within the framework of the treaty, the Russian side should understand for itself how the arsenals of not only the United States, but also other NATO nuclear powers - Great Britain and France - will be taken into account in the START Treaty. On March 1, Putin signed a law suspending Russia's participation in the START.