US President Donald Trump has confirmed active discussions with China and Russia aimed at denuclearizing countries possessing the largest stockpiles of nuclear weapons. Speaking in a recent interview, Trump labeled the global nuclear arms race "a shame," expressing a desire to eliminate such weapons if possible.
Discussions Amidst Treaty Expiration
Trump's comments come months after the expiration of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), a pivotal agreement from 2010 designed to limit the number of deployed strategic nuclear warheads and bombs. While the treaty allowed for a single five-year extension, which was agreed upon by then-President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin, any further extension would necessitate an executive decision to voluntarily uphold its limits.
The former president stated he has already engaged in conversations with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the matter and expects China's nuclear capabilities to approach those of the US within the next five years. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Russia currently holds the most nuclear warheads, followed by the United States, and then China.
"The whole thing is a shame, because I'd love to denuclearize if possible, but we're actually talking to Russia about that, and we're talking to China about that denuclearization," Trump said.
A Call for Reduced Defense Spending
Trump has consistently advocated for denuclearization, arguing that the vast sums invested in developing and maintaining nuclear arsenals could be reallocated for more beneficial purposes. He previously voiced optimism about the possibility of all three major nuclear powers – the US, Russia, and China – halving their substantial defense budgets.
"There’s no reason for us to be building brand new nuclear weapons, we already have so many… 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 remarked in an earlier statement from the Oval Office. He underscored that such expenditures are unproductive and that the use of these weapons would lead to "probably oblivion."