The United States and Russia are due to discuss arms control at a meeting in Vienna today, eight months before a key nuclear weapons agreement is due to expire.
The new START agreement, in force for a decade but due to expire in February 2021, is currently the only remaining nuclear weapons agreement between the US and Russia.
The new START agreement envisions limiting the number of launch pads to 800 and nuclear warheads to 1,550.
The United States says its arms control agreements with Russia are outdated and wants China to be included in any nuclear weapons agreements, although Beijing has repeatedly said it is not interested in joining.
Russian security expert Dmitry Suslov told state media ahead of Monday’s meeting that it seems unlikely that the United States will extend a new START agreement without bringing China to the table.
