The new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) that was passed after a months-long political battle by the US Senate on Wednesday has been the centerpiece of Washington's efforts to "reset" lagging relations with Moscow.

The treaty slashes the two sides' nuclear arsenals to 1,550 deployed warheads per side and leaves each country with no more than 800 launchers and bombers.

But besides also restoring vital inspections the treaty also goes a long way towards easing Russia's worries that it will soon begin losing nuclear parity with the United States -- a point of national pride since the Soviet era.

The Kremlin said Medvedev received news of the 71-26 vote in the Senate "with satisfaction" and "expressed hope that the State Duma and Federation Council are ready to examine this question and ratify the document."

The lower and upper chambers of Russia's parliament are dominated by pro-Kremlin lawmakers that act in line with the president's wishes and their eventual ratification of the document is all but assured.

Ruling United Russia party deputy Ruslan Kondratov stressed that "ratification will have a positive effect on all areas of our bilateral cooperation -- especially Afghanistan and Iran.

"It should be noted that this treaty's signature ... will in no way weaken the nuclear capabilities of our state," the Duma foreign affairs committee member added in comments posted on the party's website.

The upper chamber's foreign affairs committee chairman Mikhail Margelov also said the treaty "was in the interests of both sides.

"There are times when our interests do not contradict each other. This is precisely one of those times," Margelov told Moscow Echo radio.

"We are standing side by side on this one without stepping on each other's toes."

But some lawmakers appeared uneasy about the non-binding amendments that US senators attached to the so-called "resolution of ratification" that was aimed at easing sceptical Republicans' concerns about the pact.

The Duma speaker said lawmakers needed time to examine the final document agreed by the Senate. He added that deputies may decide to add their own non-binding amendments to the deal.

Such additions would not effect the essence of the agreement but may mean that final ratification may have to be postponed until next week.

The Duma holds its last formal session of the year on Friday. But several pro-Kremlin lawmakers said that they were ready to hold emergency sessions to ensure that Russia enters the new year with a formal treaty in hand.

"We have a pretty good idea about what kinds of amendments may need to be attached (to the treaty to ensure) Russia's ratification of START," said Duma foreign affairs committee chairman Konstantin Kosachev.

The disputed amendments concern the United States' right to deploy a nuclear defence system in Europe and modernise its nuclear force.

But both points are already a part of the treaty signed by the two presidents in Prague in April and several lawmakers said they understood that the additions were meant primarily for US domestic consumption.

"This is all a part of a grand chess game ... that Obama is playing home," Margelov said.

"We can also express any opinions about the document we want. But this does not change the essence of the document -- a document that was sealed by two signatures: that of our president and Obama."

Two minority Duma factions -- the ultra-nationalist Liberal Democratic party and the Communists -- said they would vote against ratification.

But United Russia holds 314 seats in the 450 seat chamber and does not need anyone else's backing to collect the two-thirds of the votes necessary for ratification.

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