Trump says he discussed Russia’s nuclear disarmament with Putin
U.S. President Donald Trump discussed nuclear disarmament with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin during talks in Alaska, Trump told reporters in the White House on Aug. 25.
"I think the denuclearization is a very, it's a big game," Trump said.
"But Russia is willing to do it, and I think China is going to be willing to do it. We can't let nuclear weapons proliferate. We have to stop nuclear weapons," he added, without revealing details of the discussion.
The Kremlin has not commented on Trump's statement.
According to a report from the Federation of American Scientists (FAS), Russia has a total inventory of 5,580 nuclear warheads as of March 2024, including around 1,200 awaiting dismantlement, the most of any country in the world.
Russia's nuclear arsenal includes tactical weapons for battlefield use and strategic weapons capable of reaching the U.S.
Moscow has repeatedly issued nuclear threats against Ukraine and the West since launching the full-scale invasion in February 2022. While those threats have not materialized, concerns persist over Russia's military ambitions beyond Ukraine.
To date, nuclear arms control negotiations between Moscow and Washington have made no progress.
Weeks before the Trump-Putin Alaska meeting on Aug. 15, the U.S. president ordered two U.S. nuclear-powered submarines to be repositioned to "appropriate regions" in response to inflammatory language from former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.
Medvedev said increased involvement from Washington to end Russia's war against Ukraine could bring the U.S. and Moscow closer to direct conflict. He has repeatedly threatened nuclear escalation and spread Kremlin propaganda portraying Russia as the victim of Western aggression.
Trump accused Medvedev of "entering very dangerous territory," calling him a "failed former president" and warning him to "watch his words."
