Trump Calls for Nuclear Arms Talks With Russia and China \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ President Donald Trump announced plans to restart nuclear arms talks with Russia and China, aiming to reduce military spending and global stockpiles. Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump criticized excessive nuclear investment, warning of potential “oblivion” if weapons are ever used. He proposed that all three nations cut their defense budgets in half, emphasizing that resources could be better spent elsewhere. However, similar efforts during his first term failed to bring China into nuclear negotiations.
Trump Calls for Nuclear Arms Talks: Quick Looks
- Trump announced plans to restart nuclear arms control talks with Russia and China.
- He proposed cutting military budgets in half, calling excessive nuclear spending wasteful.
- Trump warned that China could reach nuclear parity with the U.S. and Russia within five to six years.
- He called nuclear weapons a threat to humanity, stating, “If they’re ever used, that’s oblivion.”
- Talks with Putin and Xi would be a priority once conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East stabilize.
- Trump tried to bring China into arms talks before, but Beijing refused to participate.
- Russia suspended the New START treaty in 2023, worsening nuclear tensions.
- The U.S., Russia, and China are all modernizing their arsenals, raising concerns about a new nuclear arms race.
Deep Look
Trump Proposes Cutting Military Budgets, Restarting Arms Negotiations
President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he wants to restart nuclear arms control talks with Russia and China, aiming to reduce global stockpiles and military spending. Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump argued that the current pace of nuclear weapons development is unnecessary and financially wasteful, suggesting that all three countries cut their defense budgets in half.
“There’s no reason for us to be building brand-new nuclear weapons—we already have so many,” Trump said. “You could destroy the world 50 times over, 100 times over. And here we are building new nuclear weapons, and they’re building nuclear weapons.”
Trump expressed frustration over the hundreds of billions of dollars being spent on nuclear deterrence, questioning why the U.S. continues to expand its arsenal when the destructive power of existing stockpiles is already overwhelming. His comments reflect a growing concern among some defense analysts and policymakers who argue that the current arms race with Russia and China is unsustainable and diverts resources away from other national priorities.
The president also acknowledged the dangers of an unchecked nuclear buildup, warning that if these weapons were ever used, the result would be “probably oblivion.”
China’s Rapid Nuclear Expansion Raises Alarm
While the U.S. and Russia have long held the world’s largest nuclear arsenals, Trump highlighted China’s growing capabilities, predicting that Beijing could reach nuclear parity with Washington and Moscow within five or six years.
“China is moving fast,” Trump said. “They’re not where we are yet, but in a few years, they will be.”
Beijing has significantly ramped up its nuclear modernization efforts, increasing its stockpile of warheads, expanding missile programs, and constructing additional silos. The Pentagon has estimated that China’s nuclear arsenal could triple by the mid-2030s, bringing it closer to U.S. and Russian levels.
Trump’s remarks suggest a growing urgency to include China in formal arms negotiations, something that previous administrations failed to accomplish.
Trump Wants Talks With Putin and Xi
Trump emphasized that once global conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine stabilize, he plans to prioritize direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
“One of the first meetings I want to have is with President Xi of China, President Putin of Russia. And I want to say, ‘let’s cut our military budget in half.’ And we can do that. And I think we’ll be able to.”
This proposal would mark a significant shift in U.S. defense policy, as previous arms negotiations have historically focused on bilateral agreements between Washington and Moscow, leaving China out of the equation. The New START treaty, which the U.S. and Russia signed in 2010, limits both nations’ strategic nuclear arsenals but does not include China.
During Trump’s first term, his administration tried to expand New START to include China, but Beijing refused to participate. Since then, the situation has deteriorated further, with Russia suspending its participation in the treaty in 2023.
Despite this history, Trump remains optimistic that a new three-way agreement could be reached, reducing global military spending and shifting geopolitical priorities away from nuclear escalation.
Challenges to Achieving a New Nuclear Agreement
While Trump’s proposal sounds straightforward, securing a new arms control deal with Russia and China would be an enormous diplomatic challenge.
First, relations between the U.S., Russia, and China are at their lowest point in decades.
- Russia’s war in Ukraine has severely damaged U.S.-Russia relations, with Washington providing billions in military aid to Kyiv.
- China’s aggressive posture on Taiwan and territorial disputes in the South China Sea have heightened tensions with the U.S. and its allies.
- Moscow and Beijing have strengthened military ties, conducting joint military exercises and increasing arms cooperation.
Second, both Russia and China have shown little interest in cutting defense spending.
- Russia is heavily investing in modernizing its nuclear forces, despite economic sanctions and battlefield losses in Ukraine.
- China is rapidly expanding its military budget, aiming to match U.S. capabilities in nuclear deterrence, naval power, and space warfare.
Third, the U.S. is also committed to nuclear modernization, with the Pentagon planning to replace Cold War-era weapons systems over the next few decades.
- The U.S. is developing new ICBMs, submarines, and bombers as part of a long-term nuclear strategy.
- Both Democrats and Republicans have supported these modernization programs, making Trump’s proposal to cut military budgets by half a difficult sell in Congress.
What’s Next?
Trump’s call for renewed nuclear talks marks a potential shift in U.S. foreign policy, but it remains unclear whether Russia and China will engage.
- If Trump moves forward with negotiations, he may face resistance from Congress and the Pentagon, where many officials believe nuclear deterrence remains critical to U.S. security.
- China has historically refused to enter arms control agreements, and Russia’s suspension of New START further complicates talks.
- Global instability in Ukraine, the Middle East, and the Indo-Pacific could delay any meaningful diplomatic engagement.
Still, Trump’s framing of the issue as a financial burden rather than purely a security challenge may resonate with voters concerned about government spending.
“We’re all spending a lot of money that we could be spending on other things that are actually, hopefully, much more productive,” he said.
As tensions between Washington, Moscow, and Beijing remain high, the likelihood of significant arms reductions appears slim, but Trump’s proposal opens the door for renewed diplomatic discussions on nuclear security and global stability.
Trump Calls for
