Putin: US Nuclear-Treaty Approval Good for Russia Economy

The U.S. ratification of a new nuclear-arms reduction treaty with Russia is good news for the economy, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said.

“This is a serious decision that will influence issues of international security,” he said at a government meeting in Moscow today. “But for you and me, this is important because it will create favorable external conditions for the realization of socio-economic tasks inside the country.”

Russia’s lower house of parliament on Dec. 24 began ratifying the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, passing the first of three readings, two days after the U.S. Senate approved the accord. Russian lawmakers are expected to complete ratification after the New Year’s holidays end on Jan. 10.

--Editors: Jennifer M. Freedman, Torrey Clark

To contact the reporter on this story: Ilya Arkhipov in Moscow at iarkhipov@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Torrey Clark at tclark8@bloomberg.net