President Donald Trump is signaling a potential shift in global nuclear policy, twice proposing denuclearization talks this month with Russia and China. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Trump highlighted the massive financial costs of nuclear programs and emphasized the urgent need for negotiations.
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“Tremendous amounts of money are being spent on nuclear, and the destructive capacity is something we don’t even want to talk about today, because you don’t want to hear it,” Trump said, calling for discussions between Washington, Moscow, and Beijing to explore possible arms reduction agreements.
The proposal comes at a time when U.S. relations with Russia and China remain tense. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced in 2023 that his country would suspend participation in the New START treaty, a key nuclear arms agreement, citing U.S. support for Ukraine. Moscow has also faced repeated allegations of violating the treaty’s terms. Meanwhile, China has never entered into formal arms reduction talks with the United States, making any new agreement an uphill battle.
Trump’s push for nuclear negotiations could represent a significant change in U.S. foreign policy, potentially leading to a reduction in global nuclear stockpiles. However, it also raises questions about whether Russia and China can be trusted to comply with such an agreement.
As the administration moves forward with this ambitious diplomatic effort, all eyes will be on whether Washington, Moscow, and Beijing can find common ground—or if geopolitical tensions will keep the world locked in a nuclear standoff.