President Donald Trump announced on Monday that he is open to holding a trilateral summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in China to discuss global denuclearization. Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump described the potential meeting as a “very positive thing for the world,” noting that if the leaders desire the gathering, it would likely be held in China. The three leaders are expected to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit scheduled for next month in Shenzhen, a major technology hub in southern China.
The prospect of a three-way meeting follows a reported proposal by Putin. According to reports citing unnamed sources, Putin suggested the idea to Trump during an October 9 telephone call, seeking to broker an end to the war in Ukraine without including a Ukrainian representative at the negotiating table. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed that discussions regarding a potential meeting were underway, and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio publicly acknowledged that talks about such a gathering were taking place.
While the initial push from Moscow reportedly centered on resolving the conflict in Ukraine, Trump indicated that a trilateral summit would have a different primary focus. He stated that the discussions would center on nuclear weapons and denuclearization. Since his first presidential term, Trump has periodically advocated for scaling back defense spending among the major powers. In a 2018 social media post, he expressed certainty that he, Xi, and Putin would eventually discuss a meaningful halt to an uncontrollable arms race. He has also reiterated a long-term goal to de-nuke the world, telling Newsmax on October 15 that he would love to denuclearize if possible, while noting that Beijing was “probably less inclined” to participate.
Global nuclear arsenal data compiled by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) highlights the massive scale of the nations involved. As of January 2026, the global inventory stood at an estimated 12,187 nuclear warheads, with roughly 9,745 held in military stockpiles for potential use. Russia maintains the world’s largest stockpile, followed closely by the United States, with the two countries accounting for 83 percent of the global total. China ranks third with more than 600 warheads, representing 6 percent of the global inventory. However, SIPRI noted that Beijing is expanding its nuclear arsenal faster than any other nation. Furthermore, research indicates that Russian and U.S. deployments of new warheads are likely to increase in the coming years due to military modernization and the reactivation of launchers.
During his first term, Trump attempted to bring China into nuclear arms reduction talks during negotiations to extend the New START pact, but those efforts were unsuccessful. Beijing has consistently rejected past U.S. overtures, arguing that Washington and Moscow must first reduce their own significantly larger arsenals before China joins negotiations.
Meanwhile, Putin’s proposal for a summit excluding Kyiv drew immediate pushback from Ukrainian officials. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha posted on social media that a trilateral meeting involving Ukraine, the U.S., and Russia could help end the war sooner, whereas a meeting between Russia, China, and the U.S. would achieve the opposite by encouraging Putin to continue the conflict. Speaking to reporters on Monday, Peskov acknowledged that a final peace settlement would ultimately require the participation of officials in Kyiv prepared to take responsibility.
The diplomatic overture arrives amid shifts in U.S. policy regarding Russia. Trump recently unveiled a diesel deal with Moscow aimed at lowering domestic fuel prices and paused the implementation of scheduled sanctions, decisions that have drawn criticism from some of his political allies. At the same time, Trump has pressured Kyiv to halt strikes on Russian refineries—a key tactical advantage for Ukraine—while publicly blaming Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for rising fuel prices and calling for leadership changes in Kyiv.
