SINGAPORE: Russia and the United States said yesterday after talks between their leaders that they expect to agree on the text of a new missile cuts treaty by the end of the year.

"I expect that we can have a final text of the agreement by December," Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said, referring to a successor to the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty.

White House advisor Mike McFaul said that while an agreement was expected in December, it could not be ratified by the legislatures in both countries by December 5 when START elapses.