Washington: Donald Trump, the US President confirmed that the United States is holding talks with Russia and China on denuclearisation, raising the possibility of discussions aimed at reducing nuclear weapons stockpiles held by the world’s largest nuclear powers.
Trump stated that Washington was discussing denuclearisation with Moscow and Beijing. The US president described the continued existence of large nuclear arsenals as a serious concern and expressed interest in reducing nuclear weapons if an agreement could be reached.
Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) noted that Russia holds the world’s largest stockpile of stored nuclear warheads, followed by the United States and China. However, the United States has more deployed nuclear warheads than Russia.
The three countries occupy a central position in global nuclear security because of the size of their arsenals. Any progress towards denuclearisation would involve discussions among the governments holding the largest nuclear stockpiles.
Trump’s comments come months after the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, known as New START, expired earlier in 2026. The agreement placed limits on the strategic nuclear weapons deployed by the United States and Russia and provided a framework for arms control between the two countries.
The New START treaty was signed in 2010 and included an option for a single extension. Former US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to extend the agreement for 5 years, allowing its limits to remain in place until the treaty’s expiry.
Although Trump has referred to discussions with both Russia and China, the available information does not specify the scope of the talks or provide details of a possible agreement. It also remains unclear whether the discussions would lead to a formal arrangement covering nuclear weapons held by all 3 countries.
The comments signal Washington’s stated interest in pursuing denuclearisation discussions with Moscow and Beijing following the end of the New START framework. The outcome of any such talks could shape future efforts to address the nuclear arsenals of the world’s leading nuclear powers.
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