Russia has accused the US of not complying with the "New START" treaty, world agencies reported, quoted by BTA.

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"We see that the United States has actually destroyed the legal framework for arms control and (nuclear) security," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters today.

The US State Department notified Congress yesterday that Russia is not complying with the only remaining agreement between the two largest nuclear powers to control such weapons by not allowing inspections on its territory.

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Peskov expressed regret for the "sad situation" surrounding "New START".

However, Russia "considers that the preservation of this treaty is very important", he added at the same time.

Russia's ambassador to the United States, Anatoly Antonov, criticized the US actions, which "undermine the key goal of the agreement: maintaining the balance between the countries' strategic offensive weapons."

"Washington refuses to see the root causes of the problem, shifting the blame to others," he added in his statement, quoted by AFP.

The contract signed in 2010 entered into force a year later.

It was due to expire in 2021, but its effect was extended for five years - until 2026, AFP and Reuters recall.

Russia and the United States together account for about 90 percent of the world's nuclear warheads.

The future of the New START treaty has become even more important after Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year worsened relations between the two biggest nuclear powers to their lowest point in 60 years, Reuters noted.

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