WASHINGTON, 22 January, 2021, (TON): The U.S. would seek a five-year extension of an expiring arms control treaty between Washington and Moscow, according to reports on Thursday.

Joe Biden administration decided to accept Russia's offer to extend the last remaining nuclear arms control treaty for the full five years and is proposing that the two sides "explore new verifiable arms control agreements" in the future.

Biden's nominee for Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday that Biden would extend the treaty.

During confirmation hearing at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Blinken said, "I know that he does intend to seek an extension, and we have to make a decision as President about what duration we would seek."

The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, which caps Washington and Moscow's deployed nuclear weapons at 1,550 each, is set to expire on February 5^th, unless both sides agree to keep it in force.

The New START can be extended by a maximum of five years with the consent of the two countries. The treaty, which stipulates limits to the numbers of deployed strategic nuclear warheads and delivery systems, is the last remaining nuclear arms control pact in force between the two nuclear superpowers.

Russia first offered to extend the treaty without preconditions in early 2020. But the Trump administration sought to negotiate a new agreement that paved the way for a follow-on treaty that covered more weapons, including tactical nuclear weapons that are not included in New START.