Trump to meet with China’s Xi and Russia’s Putin at historic trilateral sit-down on nuclear non-proliferation

President Donald Trump will convene a historic trilateral meeting with China's leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin next week in China, as announced by the White House on Friday. The summit, which coincides with the APEC summit in China, will center on the topic of nuclear non-proliferation, a field that President Trump believes could potentially lead to a new agreement between the world's leading nuclear-armed nations.

Olivia Wales, a spokesperson for the White House, informed reporters that the President has explicitly highlighted the reduction of nuclear weapons as one of the key topics to be discussed during the meeting. Olivia further emphasized that President Trump perceives the proliferation of nuclear weapons as a highly dangerous issue.

According to a senior US official, the last nuclear arms treaty between the US and Russia lapsed in February, which adds urgency to the upcoming discussions. The prospect of striking a comprehensive deal on nuclear matters is viewed as unlikely by officials, who instead see the meeting as a starting point for dialogues between the leaders of the three countries.

"We do not expect to get to any kind of agreement," noted a senior official from the US, adding that the meeting marks the beginning of a potentially fruitful conversation between the nations. The official further stated that this initial dialogue could pave the way for productive discussions in the future.

During the summit, the world leaders are also expected to discuss issues related to Iran. A senior US official confirmed that Elon Musk is anticipated to accompany Trump on the trip, though the official stressed that Musk is not expected to attend the trilateral meeting itself. The participation of Beijing and Moscow in the trilateral summit remains to be officially confirmed by China and Russia, respectively.