Russia's lower house of parliament, the State Duma, on Friday overwhelmingly approved the New START treaty on new nuclear arms reduction the US in a first reading, DPA reported.
The vote in the assembly, dominated by the pro-Kremlin United Russia party, was 350 in favour to 58 opposing votes.
The final parliamentary approval in Russia will not come until a second reading in the State Duma planned for mid-January, the head of the body's foreign affairs committee, Konstantin Kossatchov, said.
In addition, the Federation Council, or senate, will also still have to approve the treaty next year.
Earlier, senior Kremlin officials had urged parliamentary approval of the New START treaty after the US Senate had ratified it in a vote on Wednesday.
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