Moscow: The Russian presidency (Kremlin) Tuesday ruled out the prospects of the United States and Russia striking an updated New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) for the time being. Russian presidential press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, on Tuesday explained that such a step requires a certain level of mutual trust, which have yet to be restored, saying: "At the moment, it is very difficult to imagine the beginning of such negotiations."

According to Qatar News Agency, Peskov said that both Moscow and Washington are making significant efforts to normalize their relations, which have been severely damaged in recent years. He added that there is a mutual understanding that current changing circumstances and the security structure in place further complicate matters.