Russia military says needs 1,500 warheads: report

Russia's Strategic Forces commander Colonel-General Nikolai Solovtsov speaks during a news conference in Moscow February 19, 2007.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia must keep at least 1,500 nuclear warheads after talks with the United States on a new arms treaty, Interfax news agency quoted the commander of Russia's Strategic Nuclear Forces as saying Wednesday.

If Moscow's final position reflects Colonel-General Nikolai Solovtsov's view, it would mean Russia is not willing to cut its stockpiles by more than a few hundred strategic warheads - far less than some arms control bodies had hoped.

"In this contract on a new strategic forces treaty, Russia must not have less than 1,500 nuclear warheads, but this decision is up to the political authorities of the country," Solovtsov told Interfax.

Russia and the United States are in talks on a new nuclear arms treaty that aims to reduce stockpiles below the 1,700-2,200 figure both sides already agree must be reached by 2012.

Discussion on agreeing a replacement to the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START 1) that expires on December 5 are expected to form a key element of U.S. President Barack Obama's visit to Moscow on July 6-8.

Negotiators from Moscow and Washington have already held a series of talks on a new agreement to further reduce stockpiles and are set for further talks.

Russia has also said it wants to link the nuclear talks to U.S. plans to deploy an anti-missile shield in Europe and has pushed for the United States to put a limit on the number of delivery systems -- the rockets or other means that deliver weapons.

(Reporting by Conor Sweeney; Editing by Michael Stott and Jon Boyle)