Trump Denuclearization: Talks With Russia and China

Trump denuclearization talks are underway with Russia and China, the president said Thursday, describing Washington’s effort to curb the nuclear arsenals of the three largest atomic powers.

Speaking in a Newsmax interview on Oct. 15, Trump said the United States is in discussions with both Moscow and Beijing aimed at denuclearizing the countries with the biggest stockpiles. He said he hopes denuclearization is possible, calling the scale of global arsenals a shame.

Why Arms Control Is Back in Focus

Trump’s comments come months after the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty expired earlier this year. The New START pact, signed in 2010, allowed a single five-year extension, which former President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to. Any further limits would now require an executive decision to voluntarily extend them.

Russia holds the most stored nuclear warheads, followed by the United States and then China, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. The United States outpaces Russia in the number of deployed warheads.

China Expected to Catch Up Within Five Years

Trump said he expects China’s nuclear capability to catch up with the United States within the next five years. Newsmax reported that Trump had spoken with Chinese President Xi Jinping about denuclearization.

The president offered no details on the structure or timeline of the talks, and neither Moscow nor Beijing has publicly confirmed them.

Source: Reuters