The US Senate approved the new nuclear arms reduction accord with Russia on Wednesday, meeting President Barack Obama's goal of ratifying the pact that requires both countries to cut their arsenals of deployed warheads, dpa reported.
The Senate voted 71-26 to ratify the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, or New START, clearing the two-thirds majority required under the US Constitution for treaty ratification.
New START was signed by Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in April and binds the two sides to cut their numbers of active warheads to 1,550 within seven years, or by about 30 per cent from the 1991 treaty that expired in December 2009. Both sides must reduce delivery systems that include long range missiles, submarine launches missiles and bomber fleets to 700.
Obama still must sign the Senate resolution ratifying the treaty. New START is expected to easily get the green light of the Russian Duma in a vote that could come by the end of the week. Russian lawmakers said they would wait to vote until a final outcome in the US Senate.
Once in effect New START will allow both countries to resume crucial inspections of the other's nuclear fleet and activities. US and Russian officials spent a year negotiating the pact.
The approval of New START is a boost to Obama, who viewed the treaty as the cornerstone to "reset" relations with Moscow and of his nuclear non-proliferation agenda. The treaty was also seen as pivotal for maintaining Russian assistance in Afghanistan and for reining in Iran's nuclear activities.