Russian President Dmitry Medvedev welcomes the ratification of a new U.S.-Russian arms reduction deal by the U.S. Senate but believes it could take some time for the Russian lawmakers to study the amendments to the treaty.
The United States Senate ratified on Wednesday the new START treaty with Russia, with a vote of 71 for and 26 against. The agreement will come into force after ratification by both houses of the Russian parliament.
"President Dmitry Medvedev was satisfied with the news that the U.S. Senate had ratified the new START treaty and expressed hope that Russia's State Duma and the Federation Council would be ready to review and ratify this document," the Kremlin spokeswoman Natalya Timakova said on Thursday.
However, the president believes that "the Russian parliament could need some time to study the legal aspects of the ratification by the Senate prior to making its own decision," Timakova said.
MOSCOW, December 23 (RIA Novosti)
