Marshall Billingslea, US Special Presidential Envoy for Arms Control, arrives for the USA-Russia meeting at the  Palais Niederoestereich in Vienna on June 22, 2020.-The United States and Russia met Monday in Vienna for talks on their last major nuclear weapons agreement against a backdrop of growing tensions and differences over whether they see any value in arms control at all. (JOE KLAMAR / AFP)

VIENNA - Nuclear weapons talks between the United States and Russia started in Vienna on Monday, with the two countries’ envoys making only guarded comments shortly before they met.

Little has been said officially about the arms control negotiations but the US envoy has made clear they will be about nuclear weapons, suggesting they will include replacing the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), which expires in February

Little has been said officially about the arms control negotiations but the US envoy has made clear they will be about nuclear weapons, suggesting they will include replacing the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), which expires in February.

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“We’ll see,” US Special Presidential Envoy for Arms Control Marshall Billingslea told Reuters when asked what he expected to come of the talks as he arrived with his delegation at a palace adjoining Austria’s Foreign Ministry.

He declined to elaborate on their content.

His Russian interlocutor, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, was equally cautious, telling reporters soon afterwards: “Let’s see, let’s see. We are always very hopeful.”

The US State Department has said Billingslea will be in Vienna for the talks on Monday and Tuesday.

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New START imposes the last remaining limits on US and Russian deployments of strategic nuclear arms to no more than 1,550 each. It can be extended for up to five years if both sides agree to.

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly called for China to join the United States and Russia in talks on an agreement to replace New START. China has repeatedly rejected Trump’s proposal.

Reuters reporters at the palace did not see any Chinese officials.

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