U.S. Says Negotiations Continue on Nuke Treaty

WASHINGTON -- The White House says the United States is continuing negotiations with Russia over a nuclear arms treaty that expired last week.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said on Wednesday that negotiators continue to work to replace the expired treaty. But Gibbs says no ceremony has been scheduled to sign a new treaty. Russia's foreign minister said earlier in the day that Moscow and Washington will sign a new nuclear arms deal soon.

The agreement that expired Friday obliged each country to cut nuclear warheads by at least a quarter, to about 6,000, and included detailed verification procedures.

President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev agreed at a summit in July to each cut nuclear warheads to between 1,500 and 1,675 within seven years as part of a new treaty.