Russia is ready for a new world with no nuclear limits, Ryabkov says

The New START treaty will expire on Feb 5 if no last-minute deal is reached

Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov. Photo: Reuters

Russia is ready for the new reality of a world with no nuclear arms control limits after the New START treaty expires later this week, Russia's point man for arms control said on Tuesday.

Unless Moscow and Washington reach a last-minute bilateral understanding of some kind, the New START treaty, signed in 2010 by US President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, will expire on Feb 5.

"The lack of an answer is also an answer," Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov was quoted by state news agency TASS as saying in Beijing on the absence of a response from Washington on Russian proposals to extend the limits of New START.

Russia was ready for the new reality of the world's two largest nuclear powers having no limits for the first time in decades, Ryabkov said.

He also said Russia supported China's position on arms control.

On Iran, he said the United States' proposals to Iran were tantamount to ultimatums.

He said that if the US pumped lots of missile defence systems onto Greenland then Russia would have to take compensatory measures in its military sphere.