Russia on Wednesday urged US President Joe Biden's new administration to take a "more constructive" approach in talks over the extension of the New START treaty, Washington's last arms reduction pact with Moscow.

"We expect that the new US administration will take a more constructive approach in its dialogue with us," the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement.

"We are ready for such work on principles of equal rights and taking mutual interests into account."

The agreement, which caps the number of nuclear warheads between the two powers, is set to expire on February 5.

The Russian foreign ministry accused the administration of Biden's predecessor Donald Trump of "deliberately and intentionally" dismantling international arms control agreements.

Moscow accused the previous US administration of not planning to extend New START, referring to its "counterproductive and openly aggressive" approach in talks.

The Russian foreign ministry said the treaty should be extended in its current version and "without any pre-conditions," adding that prolonging the arms pact for five years would be "preferable."

"This would allow Russia and the United States to seriously begin a joint search for responses to the issues of international security and strategic stability that are now arising," the ministry said in the statement.

"At the same time the current level of transparency and predictability in relation to New START would remain in place which would be in the interests of security of both our countries and the whole world."

Russian President Vladimir Putin last year proposed a one-year extension on New START.

President Donald Trump's administration had unsuccessfully sought to expand the treaty to bring in China, which has a fast-growing military that remains significantly smaller than those of Russia and the United States.

Gorbachev calls on Russia and US to mend ties under Biden
Moscow (AFP) Jan 20, 2021 –

Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev on Wednesday called for Russia and the United States to repair their strained relations, hours before President-elect Joe Biden was to enter the White House.

Tensions have soared between Moscow and Washington under US President Donald Trump, fuelled by fresh allegations of sweeping cyber-attacks among a litany of other disagreements on the world stage.

"The current condition of relations between Russia and the United States is of great concern," Gorbachev said in an interview with state-run news agency TASS.

"But this also means that something has to be done about it in order to normalise relations," the last Soviet leader said.

"We cannot fence ourselves off from each other."

Gorbachev, 89, reiterated that it was necessary to preserve the New START Treaty, a 2010 arms reduction accord that limits Russia and the United States to 1,550 nuclear warheads and is set to expire February 5.

Negotiations with the Trump administration stalled as Washington pushed for China to join the agreement and Beijing showing no interest.

While Biden's aides indicated that he intends to work quickly to extend the treaty, the incoming president is also expected to take a tougher stance on Russia.

Gorbachev said that after the New START accord is extended, "a more ambitious treaty" can be negotiated within several years as new types of weapons are developed.

Under Trump, the United States withdrew from two major international accords — the Iran nuclear deal and the Open Skies treaty — and pulled out from a centrepiece arms control agreement with Russia, the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty.