Trump Worries Nuclear Weapons Strength Is Widening, Wants To Negotiate With Russia-China

JAKARTA - US President Donald Trump said he wanted to open denuclearization negotiations with Russia and China, reviewing the issues he previously raised in line with his efforts to restart diplomacy that had stalled with North Korea.

"One of the things we are trying to do with Russia and China is denuclearization, and this is very important," Trump said.

"I think denuclearization is a huge goal, but Russia is willing to do it, and I think China will be willing to do it too. We can't let nuclear weapons breed. We have to stop nuclear weapons. The power is too big," Trump said.

At a separate event at the White House on Monday, Trump said he raised the issue with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He did not provide specific details on when the conversation took place.

"We are discussing nuclear weapons restrictions. We will involve China in that," Trump said.

"Childs are far behind, but they will catch up with us in five years. We want denuclearization. The power is too big, and we've also talked about it," Trump added.

The US president's statement came as he expressed his desire to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un this year.

Kim has ignored Trump's repeated calls since the Republican president took office in January to revive Trump's direct diplomacy during his 2017-2021 term, which resulted in no agreement to halt North Korea's nuclear program.

Trump first expressed his intention to seek nuclear arms control in February, saying he wanted to start discussions with Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping about implementing their weapons limits.

Trump said denuclearization would be the goal of his second term and he hopes to start in the not too distant future.

A new focus on nuclear arms control comes as the New Strategic Weapons Reduction Agreement, or New START, ends on February 5, 2026.

The agreement, which was signed in 2010, is the last remaining nuclear weapons agreement between the US and Russia, which limits the number of strategic warheads and delivery systems that can be used by each party.

Russia warned earlier this year that the prospect of renewing the agreement looked gloomy.

Under Trump's predecessor, then President Joe Biden, the US had urged China to engage in formal nuclear weapons negotiations, but made little progress.