Moscow - Russian and US officials held talks Monday on missile defence, arms control and other issues amidst currently unraveling security ties between the two Cold War superpowers.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov and US Under-Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security John Rood led the closed-door meeting.

Russia's Foreign Ministry gave no details on the talks, which are to address a replacement for the 1991 START-1 nuclear arms pact set to expire next year.

Ryabkov told Russian daily Kommersant that an understanding had been reached with the current administration on the imperative of a new agreement despite difficulties over US missile defence plans, he said in an interview published Monday.

Russia views the planned missile shield deployment in Poland and the Czech Republic as a threat to its nuclear deterrent, while the US insists it is necessary to protect against potential attacks from Iran.

Iran's nuclear program is among the security matters expected to be discussed Monday.

While Moscow has expressed hope for a compromise over the missile shield impasse with the incoming administration of President-elect Barack Obama, those statements have been accompanied by threats to deploy missiles in its European exclave of Kaliningrad if the plan is not abandoned by Washington.

"The most difficult of all will be to reach a compromise on missile defence. US missile defence plans only convince us that these issues should be discussed in one package," Ryabkov said. (dpa)