Putin Says Discussed Prospects of New START Treaty Extension With Trump - Reports

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian President Vladimir Putin told the Kommersant newspaper after his meeting with his US counterpart, Donald Trump, that prospects of extension of the bilateral New START treaty had been addressed but it was too early to discuss the outcome of the talks since there was a "long way" ahead.

On Friday, the two leaders met for 1.5-hour negotiations on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Japan's Osaka.

The meeting thirty minutes more than planned, with the leaders discussing subjects including the situations in or with respect to Iran, Syria, Venezuela and Ukraine.

When asked if the talks had shown any prospects to prolong the bilateral nuclear arms reduction treaty, which is set to expire in 2021, Putin said that though that issue had been discussed, it was too early to expect any specific results, Kommersant reported.

Russia has repeatedly expressed its readiness to extend New START.

Earlier this year, following the US's withdrawal from the INF treaty, a landmark 1987 accord aimed primarily at reducing the risk of nuclear war in Europe, Moscow voiced concerns that Washington could allow New START to expire in 2021 without renewal, as well.