The New START arms reduction treaty will not shift Russia’s plans to continue developing Bulava submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) and Yars RS-24 missiles, Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov said on Saturday.
Earlier in the day, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton exchanged the instruments of ratification for the New START arms reduction treaty and the document came into effect.
“This treaty does not envision any duties on Russia except for one: to observe the limits stated in the treaty,” Ivanov said.
“The plans we had to develop the strategic component of the armed forces remain in force, this concerns Bulava and Yars,” Ivanov said.
Ivanov emphasized that not only Russia and the United States, but all of the countries which develop and have nuclear arms should hold talks aimed at reducing strategic nuclear arsenals.
