WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th October, 2020) US negotiators believe there is an agreement with Russia in principle on the conditions to extend the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), US Special Envoy for Arms Control Marshall Billingslea said during a webinar hosted by The Heritage Foundation on Tuesday.
"We believe that there is an agreement in principle at the highest levels of our two governments," Billingslea said. "I am hopeful that that sort of gentleman's agreement... will ultimately need to percolate down through their system so my counterpart hopefully will be authorized to negotiate."
Billingslea added that the United States is ready to strike the deal as soon as tomorrow.
However, Russian negotiators deny any breakthroughs in the arms control talks with the United States.
