Trump says he is open to nuclear talks with Xi and Putin next month
The US president said he would join a three-way meeting if Xi wanted one, but the Kremlin says no meeting or agenda has been agreed.
US President Donald Trump said outside the White House on October 19 that he was open to meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin as soon as next month to discuss nuclear weapons. His remarks put a potential three-way meeting on the table, but the leaders have not agreed to hold one.
“We would have it to talk about nuclear weapons and denuclearisation,” Trump told reporters. “If President Xi wants to have it, I'd have it. I'm sure we'd talk about other things like trade too.” The South China Morning Post reported that Trump linked the idea to his planned November visit to China.
What the Kremlin has said about a three-way meeting
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the possibility had been raised in talks because all three leaders might attend the APEC summit in China. He said nobody had put forward or discussed specific proposals or agreements about the meeting, its agenda or its content.
Reuters reported that the White House had discussed a possible meeting focused on denuclearisation on the sidelines of the November 18–19 summit, citing a person familiar with the matter. The White House did not respond to Reuters' request for comment, and the Russian and Chinese embassies in Washington did not reply. The summit is a possible setting, rather than a confirmed date for talks.
Nuclear talks and the Ukraine war
China's foreign ministry said last week that its nuclear strength was not at the same level as that of the United States and Russia, and that asking China to join trilateral disarmament negotiations at this stage would be neither fair nor realistic. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Russia has the most stored nuclear warheads, followed by the United States and China. The New START arms-control treaty expired earlier this year.
The Kremlin's comments followed a report that Putin had proposed a meeting to discuss ending the war in Ukraine. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha criticised that format, saying talks among Russia, China and the United States would encourage Putin to continue the war. Peskov said a final settlement would require Ukrainian participation. Trump's stated reason for a meeting was nuclear talks; the leaders have agreed no agenda.
Earlier NewsJaws coverage described Sybiha's objection to the proposed summit. Trump has since publicly said he would take part if Xi wanted to meet and has identified nuclear weapons as a subject for discussion.
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Sources and context
- Trump open to idea of joint meeting with Xi, Putin next monthChannel NewsAsia, reporting credited to Reuters
- Kremlin says Putin, Trump and Xi could hold a three-way meeting in China next monthDawn, reporting credited to Reuters
- Trump says he’s open to meeting Xi and Putin in China for nuclear talksSouth China Morning Post
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.