Donald Trump has expressed his desire to restart nuclear arms control talks with Russia and China, aiming to cut defence budgets in half and reduce the global nuclear stockpile.
A Call for Reduction
Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump criticised the massive investment in nuclear weapons, questioning the logic of continued expansion.
“There’s no reason for us to be building brand new nuclear weapons, we already have so many,” he 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 argued that all three nations are spending billions on nuclear programs instead of focusing on more productive investments.
Concerns Over China’s Nuclear Growth
While Russia and the U.S. still hold the largest Cold War-era nuclear stockpiles, Trump warned that China could catch up within five or six years.
He described the potential use of these weapons as leading to “probably oblivion.”
Diplomatic Challenges Ahead
Trump stated that he would seek talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin once geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and Ukraine were stabilised.
“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.”
A History of Failed Negotiations
During his first term, Trump attempted, but failed, to bring China into nuclear arms reduction talks when the U.S. and Russia were negotiating the extension of the New START treaty.
Russia later suspended its participation in the treaty under the Biden administration, while both the U.S. and Russia continued modernising their ageing nuclear arsenals.
