WASHINGTON, March 24 (UPI) -- Russia and the United States reached a pact to reduce their nuclear arsenals and replace the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, a spokesman in Moscow said.
U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev are expected to sign the agreement in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, The Washington Post reported Wednesday.
"All documents related to the new treaty have been agreed upon," the Russian spokesman told the Post, adding that the two leaders planned to discuss arrangements "in the nearest future."
The final breakthrough in talks in Geneva, Switzerland, follows a nearly yearlong bargaining effort between the two countries. Russia and the United States together have more than 90 percent of the world's nuclear weapons.
In Washington, U.S. officials would say only that the two sides were close to an agreement.
"I've said on many occasions we are making strong progress on getting an agreement. We are, I think, very close to having an agreement on a START treaty but won't have one until President Obama and his counterpart, Mr. Medvedev, have a chance to speak again," White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said. "I think they will likely speak in the next few days. ... I think we're very close to getting an agreement."
Obama will host a nuclear security summit in Washington in April.
