Russian parliament’s lower house ratifies New START treaty extension

MOSCOW: Russian parliament’s lower house on Wednesday unanimously voted to ratify an agreement to extend by five years a key nuclear pact with the United States that was set to expire next week.
A total of 399 lawmakers voted in favor of extending the agreement, with no votes against or abstentions. The lawmakers ratified the pact after Russian President Vladimir Putin and new US President Joe Biden held their first phone call Tuesday evening.