Trump Says the US Is Talking to Russia and China About Nuclear Disarmament – But Beijing Has Long Resisted

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What Trump Said

In an interview with the US outlet Newsmax, Trump said he would "love to denuclearize if possible." He added that the US is discussing the issue with Russia and with China.

Newsmax reported that Trump had also spoken with Chinese leader Xi Jinping about the topic. We found no independent confirmation of this in the reporting we reviewed.

Trump also said he expects China to "catch up" with the United States in nuclear capability within about five years. He made a similar prediction in February 2025, when he said China would be even with the US in "five or six years."

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Why the Timing Matters

The New START treaty (a 2010 US–Russia agreement capping long-range nuclear weapons) expired on February 5, 2026. For the first time in decades, no binding limits cover the two largest arsenals.

In September 2025, Russian President Vladimir Putin offered to keep observing the treaty's main limits for one more year, if Washington did the same. On February 3, 2026, two days before the deadline, the Kremlin said it was still waiting for an American answer.

Reuters notes that any extension would now require a voluntary decision by both sides.

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China's Growing Arsenal

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), China now holds an estimated 620 nuclear warheads, up from about 600 a year earlier. SIPRI describes this as the fastest growth of any nuclear-armed state.

The institute also estimates that China has about 775 missile silos (underground launch sites) and could match Russia and the US in long-range missiles by the end of the decade.

Even so, the US and Russia still hold the vast majority of the world's warheads. SIPRI counts roughly 12,187 worldwide. Russia and the United States together account for about 83% of those ready for use.

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Beijing's Long-Standing Refusal

China has rejected earlier American attempts to bring it into arms talks. Its argument is that Washington and Moscow should first cut their much larger arsenals.

Trump tried and failed to draw Beijing in during his first term. Critics note that Beijing offers little transparency about its buildup, which makes any verifiable agreement difficult. Chinese state authorities do not publish their warhead numbers, so outside estimates such as SIPRI's remain the main reference.

Trump's approach has not been consistent either, as skeptics point out. In October 2025 he called denuclearization a "tremendous thing" while also ordering preparations to resume US nuclear testing. Some critics also recall that his first administration left the INF treaty, an earlier US–Russia missile agreement.

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Outlook

Trump has said he wants to pursue talks with Putin and Xi once conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East are settled. No date or format for negotiations has been announced.

The central question is whether Beijing will accept any limits at all, and whether Moscow will return to the table without the old treaty. For now, the world's three largest nuclear powers face the future without a binding rulebook.

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Sources

1. Reuters – "Trump says he is talking to Russia and China about denuclearization" (Oct. 16, 2026): https://www.reuters.com/world/china/trump-says-he-is-talking-russia-china-about-denuclearization-2026-10-16/
2. South China Morning Post – "China adds warheads as nuclear powers 'walk away' from disarmament: SIPRI" (June 2026): https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3356269/china-adds-warheads-nuclear-powers-walk-away-disarmament-sipri
3. Associated Press – "Trump wants denuclearization talks with Russia and China, hopes for defense spending cuts" (Feb. 2025): https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-wants-denuclearization-talks-russia-200901462.html
4. Associated Press – "Putin says Russia is willing to abide by nuclear arms deal with the US for 1 year after it expires" (Sept. 22, 2025): https://www.wowt.com/2025/09/22/putin-says-russia-is-willing-abide-by-nuclear-arms-deal-with-us-1-year-after-it-expires/
5. Stanford University (CISAC/FSI) – "Responding to Putin's Proposal to Extend New START": https://fsi.stanford.edu/node/38423
6. bne IntelliNews – "Russia still awaiting US response on nuclear treaty extension" (Feb. 3, 2026): https://www.intellinews.com/russia-still-awaiting-us-response-on-nuclear-treaty-extension-423766/
7. Antiwar.com via ScheerPost – "Trump says he wants to work with China and Russia on denuclearization" (alternative perspective): https://scheerpost.com/2025/01/26/trump-says-he-wants-to-work-with-china-and-russia-on-denuclearization/
8. Tribune India/ANI – "Spoken to China, Russia on denuclearisation of weapons: Trump": https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/world/spoken-to-china-russia-on-denuclearisation-of-weapons-trump

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