"We are on the brink of writing the next chapter in the 40-year history of wrestling with the threat of nuclear weapons."

The US Senate is set on Wednesday to ratify START treaty on nuclear arms that will bind the United States and Russia, after an arduous Senate battle.

"We are on the brink of writing the next chapter in the 40-year history of wrestling with the threat of nuclear weapons," said Senate Foreign Relations Committee chair John Kerry after lawmakers Tuesday moved 67-28 to end debate on the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), paving a way to a final vote.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Vice President Joe Biden paid a rare visit to the US Capitol after seven days of often bitter debate and weeks of behind-the-scenes courtship of swing-vote senators.

The agreement -- which had the support of virtually every living US foreign policy or national security heavyweight -- restricts each nation to a maximum of 1,550 deployed warheads, a cut of about 30 percent from a limit set in 2002, and 800 launchers and bombers.
The accord would also return US inspectors who have been unable to monitor Russia's arsenal since the treaty's predecessor lapsed in December 2009.

Obama and his Russian counterpart President Dmitry Medvedev signed the treaty in April, triggering a months-long Senate process of hearings and briefings stretched out by Republicans requests to postpone action until after November elections.

For its part, Russia’s lower House of parliament, the State Duma, indicated  it may ratify START before the end of the year if it is passed as expected by the US Senate.

"If the Senate ratifies the treaty, our committee may call an emergency meeting to discuss the document," Leonid Slutsky, the deputy chairman of the the State Duma's foreign affairs committee, was quoted as saying by Interfax.
"In either case, it is much better to enter the New Year with a ratified treaty in hand," Slutsky added.