Russia and US sign nuclear deal

Presidents Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev today signed a milestone treaty to cut their warhead arsenals by nearly a third.

The pact between the US and Russia will shrink their stockpiles to 1,550 warheads over seven years, about a third less than the 2,200 currently permitted.

In a lavish chamber within Prague's presidential castle complex, the two presidents put their names to history.

The treaty must be now be ratified by Russia’s parliament and by the US Senate, where the White House lobbying effort is under way.

The 1,550 warheads per country limit over seven years still allows for mutual destruction several times over.

However, it is intended to send a strong signal that Russia and the US – which between them own more than 90% of the world’s nuclear weapons – are serious about disarmament.