Donald Trump says US is discussing denuclearisation with Russia and China

United States President Donald Trump said that Washington is currently engaging in discussions with Russia and China regarding potential denuclearisation efforts.

In an interview with the television network Newsmax on Thursday, Trump expressed his desire to pursue nuclear disarmament among the world's most heavily armed powers. He noted that the United States is holding talks with both Moscow and Beijing to address their nuclear arsenals, stating that he would love to see denuclearisation occur if it is feasible.

During the broadcast, Trump warned that China's nuclear capabilities are expanding rapidly, projecting that Beijing could reach parity with American nuclear strength within five years. According to Newsmax, Trump has personally discussed the topic of denuclearisation with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The remarks follow the recent expiration of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, commonly known as New START, earlier this year. Originally enacted in 2010, the bilateral arms control accord between Washington and Moscow permitted only a single five-year extension, which was previously negotiated and approved by former US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Because that formal extension option has now lapsed, any continued adherence to its warhead ceilings would depend on voluntary executive decisions by the respective governments.

Data compiled by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute indicates that Russia maintains the world's largest overall reserve of nuclear warheads, followed closely by the United States, with China possessing the third-largest inventory. While Russia leads in total stockpiled warheads, the United States currently maintains a larger operational force of deployed nuclear warheads ready for use.

Arms control frameworks between the major powers have faced growing strain in recent years as previous agreements lapsed and geopolitical tensions mounted. The prospect of including China in trilateral arms limitation dialogues has long been raised by American officials, though establishing formal, binding agreements among all three nations remains a complex diplomatic challenge.