START treaty to be introduced for ratification in May – Russian deputy

Russian legislators are preparing to view the ratification of the nuclear arms cuts deal, which was agreed by Moscow and Washington last month.

The treaty, heralded as a milestone in the countries' relations, has already been sent to the US Senate.

The sides are planning to synchronize the ratification of the historic deal.

Mikhail Margelov, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee at Federation Council – the upper house of the Russian Parliament – said that the Council and experts from the Defense and Foreign Ministries have held a long an in-depth discussion on the details of the deal.

The Russian Government will submit the document to the State Duma by the end of May, estimated Margelov, but he doubted the possibility of approving the deal simultaneously in Russia and the US due to procedural reasons.

“There will be a lot of tough questions asked during the hearings prior to ratification both in the US Senate and the Russian Parliament,” Margelov said.

“The discussion [in Moscow] will be very similar to what we have already seen on the Capitol Hill,” he asserted.

Mikhail Margelov believes that the Republicans would not hinder the approval of the nuclear deal because many of them have been involved in the discussion over the nuclear arms control before.

“Let us keep in mind that all the breakthroughs in the sphere of arms control between the US and the Soviet Union were made when the Republicans were in the office in Washington,” reminded Margelov.