Trump: US in talks with Russia, China on nuclear disarmament

President Donald Trump announced on October 15, 2026, that the United States is engaged in discussions with both Russia and China regarding nuclear disarmament, in light of the recent expiration of the New START treaty. According to Trump, who spoke to Newsmax in an interview, the aim is to reduce the world's largest nuclear arsenals, a goal he expressed a desire to achieve.

He stated that talks are underway with Russia and China on the matter of denuclearisation. Trump further predicted that China would match the United States' nuclear weapons capability within five years. In Newsmax's report, Trump claimed to have discussed denuclearisation with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute's data indicates that Russia currently possesses the largest stockpile of nuclear warheads, followed by the United States and China.

However, it's important to note that the US maintains a larger number of deployed warheads compared to Russia. These remarks were made following the expiration of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), which was signed by the US and Russia in 2010 and limited the number of deployed strategic nuclear warheads and delivery systems held by both nations.

The treaty was extended once, for an additional five years, by presidents Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin.