Barack Obama and Dmitri Medvedev seal US-Russia nuclear arms treaty

President Barack Obama and Russian president Dmitry Medvedev have approved a landmark arms accord aimed at cutting the nuclear arsenals of both countries.

The two spoke by phone today and gave their final agreement to the treaty language.

A White House statement said the treaty will limit both sides to 1,550 warheads each — about 30 per cent fewer than in the previous agreement. It also limits each country to 700 deployed missiles and bombers.

The statement said the accord also includes tough verification measures that will enable both sides to monitor all aspects of its implementation.

Mr Obama said the deal was the most comprehensive weapons agreement in nearly two decades: "With this agreement, the United States and Russia - the two largest nuclear powers in the world - also send a clear signal that we intend to lead.

"By upholding our own commitments under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, we strengthen our global efforts to stop the spread of these weapons, and to ensure that other nations meet their own responsibilities.

"In many ways, nuclear weapons represent both the darkest days of the Cold War, and the most troubling threats of our time. Today, we have taken another step forward in leaving behind the legacy of the 20th century while building a more secure future for our children."

The White House said the agreement was to be signed in Prague next month. The treaty, which replaced the 1991 START agreement, would need to be ratified by the US Senate and the Russian Duma to take effect.