Representatives of the United States, Russia and three other former Soviet republics have concluded a week of talks in Geneva without a decision on extending a 1991 arms reduction treaty.
U.S. officials said Russian and U.S. delegates as well as those of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine agreed to continue talks on the future of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, which expires in December 2009. They noted that the pact does not require that an agreement be reached a year before the document's expiration.
Last month, the United States sent Russia a series of proposals, suggesting that both countries limit their nuclear arsenals.
But news agency reports note that with U.S. President George Bush leaving office in two months, real decisions are likely to be left to his successor President-elect Barack Obama.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.