Full Breakdown
Trump Says He Is Holding Denuclearisation Talks with Russia and China
By Drooid · · How we work
Denuclearisation Talks Announced
On October 15, U.S. President Donald Trump told Newsmax that Washington is conducting talks with Moscow and Beijing aimed at denuclearising the three countries with the largest nuclear-weapon stockpiles.
Background: Expiration of the New START Treaty
The announcement comes months after the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START)—originally signed in 2010 and extended once by former President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin—expired earlier in 2026. No new extension has been enacted, meaning any future limits on deployed warheads would require a fresh executive decision.
Nuclear Stockpile Context
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) reports that Russia possesses the greatest number of stored nuclear warheads, followed by the United States and China. The United States, however, fields more deployed warheads than Russia. During the interview, Trump projected that China could “catch up” with the United States on deployed warheads within the next five years.
Official Statement
- “The whole thing is a shame, because I’d love to denuclearise if possible, but we’re actually talking to Russia about that, and we’re talking to China about that denuclearisation,” — Donald Trump, denuclearisation US president
- “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,” — Donald Trump, denuclearisation US president
Implications and Outlook
Trump’s remarks signal a diplomatic overture toward the two other nuclear-armed powers, but no concrete agreements have been disclosed. Because the New START treaty is no longer in force, any future arms-control framework would depend on separate negotiations and a presidential decision to set new limits. The United States’ ability to shape such talks may be influenced by the relative size of each nation’s stockpile and the political willingness of Moscow and Beijing to engage.