President Donald Trump expressed on Thursday his desire to reignite discussions on nuclear arms control with both Russia and China. He conveyed hopes that, in the future, the three nations could agree to significantly reduce their extensive military budgets by half.
During a press conference in the Oval Office, Trump highlighted the enormous financial resources being allocated towards enhancing the United States’ nuclear arsenal. He voiced his expectation of securing commitments from both adversarial nations to lessen their defense expenditures.
“There is no justification for the continuous development of new nuclear weapons, considering our existing stockpile is already excessive,” Trump stated. He emphasized that the ability to cause widespread destruction already exists numerous times over, aiming to underscore the importance of redirecting financial resources towards more constructive initiatives.
Although the U.S. and Russia possess extensive nuclear arsenals from the Cold War era, Trump foresaw that China will augment its nuclear capabilities swiftly, potentially matching U.S. and Russian strengths “within five or six years.”
He warned that any actual use of such weapons could lead to catastrophic consequences, equating it to “probable oblivion.” Trump clarified his intention to engage in nuclear discussions with Russia and China once conflicts in regions such as the Middle East and Ukraine are adequately resolved.
“One of my primary objectives is to convene a meeting with President Xi of China and President Putin of Russia. My message will be clear: let’s halve our military expenditures. I genuinely believe this is achievable,” he asserted.
During his initial term, Trump attempted to involve China in nuclear arms reduction conversations while the U.S. and Russia were negotiating a continuation of the New START treaty. However, these efforts did not yield success.
Since the Biden administration’s tenure began, Russia has halted its involvement in the treaty, while both nations have continued extensive programs to upgrade or replace their Cold War nuclear arsenals.
China has consistently dismissed U.S. appeals to initiate nuclear discussions, asserting that both the U.S. and Russia must first significantly reduce their larger stockpiles. A representative from the Chinese government reiterated this stance on Friday, stating, “The U.S. and Russia should substantially diminish their nuclear arsenals and create a conducive environment for other nuclear-armed nations to join the disarmament dialogue,” as articulated by Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun during a daily press briefing in Beijing.
