"The United States has made clear that we are prepared to engage Russia on the full range of issues affecting strategic stability and that there are real and meaningful steps we should be taking that can contribute to a more predictable, safer security environment," Gottemoeller was quoted as saying by the US Department of State on its website.
Gottemoeller recalled that in 2013, US President Barack Obama said that the United States was willing to negotiate a reduction of up to one-third of the country's deployed strategic warheads from the number established in the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START).
"Both nations are now faithfully implementing the Treaty's inspection regime," the under secretary added.
She also said that current tensions between Washington and Moscow highlighted "the durability of the verification regime and the important confidence that is provided by data exchanges and on-site inspections under the Treaty."
The New START Treaty is a deal between the United States and Russia on reducing the number of nuclear weapons that entered into force on February 5, 2011. Under the treaty, the two countries should meet the treaty's limitations on strategic arms by February 5, 2018.
The provisions of the treaty were agreed upon for a period of 10 years, with the signatories retaining the right to extend its term by up to five years. It envisages a number of verification measures, including on-site inspections and exhibitions, data exchanges and notifications concerning strategic offensive arms and facilities covered by the treaty, as well as provisions to facilitate the monitoring of the treaty.
