US and Russia 'on the verge' of nuclear treaty: Burns

The United States and Russia are "on the verge" of a new nuclear disarmament treaty after months of talks, US Under Secretary of State William Burns said in comments released on Thursday. "We're on the verge of completing the agreement and. I'm optimistic that we'll complete it soon," Burns said, according to the transcript of an interview released by the US Embassy in Moscow as he was visiting Russia.
Washington and Moscow have been seeking to agree the terms of a new pact to replace the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), which expired on December 5.