Trump says US in denuclearization talks with Russia, China

President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the United States is talking with Russia and China about denuclearization among the three largest nuclear powers.

Why it matters: The comments come months after the New START treaty expired, leaving the US and Russia without a binding cap on deployed strategic warheads for the first time in decades.

Data as of Arab News report published October 16, 2026, opened and read in full, reporting Trump's Newsmax interview. The talks are described only by Trump so far, with no Russian or Chinese confirmation in the report, so this developing item is grade C.

President Donald Trump told Newsmax on Thursday that Washington is holding talks with Moscow and Beijing aimed at denuclearizing the countries with the largest nuclear stockpiles, and that he had spoken with Chinese President Xi Jinping about it. He said he expects China to catch up with the US in nuclear capability within five years.

Russia holds the most stored warheads, followed by the US and China, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, while the US deploys more warheads than Russia. The New START treaty expired earlier this year, and any extension of its limits would now require a voluntary executive decision.

Trump says US in denuclearization talks with Russia, China

Sources