Trump seeks three-way nuclear talks with Russia and China

President Trump said on Oct. 20 that he would pursue three-way nuclear arms control talks with Russia and China, putting a possible reduction framework back on the agenda among the world’s largest nuclear powers.

The proposal centers on a trilateral format, rather than a US-Russia channel alone. Trump said the talks would not be mainly about Ukraine, adding that the parties would use them to discuss denuclearization.

Three-way arms talks

The format would be difficult to structure. Russia and the United States have decades of bilateral arms-control history, while China has generally resisted joining limits negotiated by Washington and Moscow.

Trump’s comments also place nuclear policy alongside a wider set of geopolitical strains. Any talks would require agreement on scope, verification and whether reductions apply only to deployed strategic weapons or to broader arsenals.

For global security, a credible negotiating channel could lower escalation risk if the parties agree to transparency measures.

If the proposal stalls, nuclear planning in the US, Russia and China is likely to remain shaped by deterrence rather than negotiated caps.

For the White House, the opening gives Trump a diplomatic track separate from Ukraine. For the defense sector, the effect would depend on whether talks move toward enforceable limits or remain at the level of political signaling.

The next 24 hours will show whether Moscow or Beijing publicly engages with the proposal, rejects it, or leaves the offer unanswered.