Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a bill into law ratifying a five-year extension of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) with the US, one of the last major arms reduction treaties signed since the end of the Cold War.

The validity period of the New START will be extended by five years to February 5, 2026, Xinhua news agency quoted the Kremlin as saying in a statement issued on Friday. On Tuesday, Moscow and Washington exchanged notes on extending the key arms control pact.