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President Donald Trump floated a associated gathering with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, claiming helium wants each countries to determination toward denuclearization.
Trump connected Thursday told reporters helium plans to beforehand these denuclearization talks erstwhile "we straighten it each out" successful the Middle East and Ukraine, comments that travel arsenic the U.S., Russia and Ukraine are actively pursuing negotiations to extremity the struggle betwixt Russia and Ukraine.
"There’s nary crushed for america to beryllium gathering marque caller atomic weapons, we already person truthful many," Trump said Thursday astatine the White House. "You could destruct the satellite 50 times over, 100 times over. And present we are gathering caller atomic weapons, and they’re gathering atomic weapons."
"We’re each spending a batch of wealth that we could beryllium spending connected different things that are actually, hopefully, overmuch much productive," helium said.
The U.S. is projected to walk astir $756 billion connected atomic weapons betwixt 2023 and 2032, according to a Congressional Budget Office study released successful 2023.
Additionally, Trump said that helium was aiming to docket meetings with Xi and Putin aboriginal connected successful his 2nd word and petition that the countries chopped their subject budgets successful half. The president said helium believes "we tin bash that," and remained indifferent astir whether helium traveled to Xi oregon Putin, oregon if they visited the White House.
Meanwhile, the U.S. has dramatically reduced its atomic arsenal since the autumn of the Berlin Wall successful 1989.
The U.S. maintains 3,748 atomic warheads arsenic of September 2023, a driblet from the stockpile of 22,217 atomic warheads successful 1989, according to the Department of Energy. The bureau reported the U.S. owned a maximum of 31,255 atomic warheads successful 1966.
In comparison, Russia has an estimated stockpile of astir 4,380 atomic warheads, portion China boasts an arsenal of astir 600, according to the Federation of American Scientists.
Trump’s remarks physique connected erstwhile statements helium made successful January astatine the Davos World Economic Forum successful Switzerland, wherever helium signaled involvement successful talks connected denuclearization with some Russia and China.
"Tremendous amounts of wealth are being spent connected nuclear, and the destructive capableness is thing that we don’t adjacent privation to speech astir today, due to the fact that you don’t privation to perceive it," Trump said connected Jan. 23.
Previous talks betwixt the U.S., Russia and China fell done successful 2020 during Trump’s archetypal medication aft helium refused to motion an hold of the 2010 New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty with Russia to enforce limits connected each country’s atomic arsenals. The pact yet was renewed nether the Biden medication and present expires successful 2026, but Russia suspended its participation.
On Thursday, Trump accused these negotiations of falling isolated owed what helium called the "rigged election" successful 2020.
NO LONGER TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF: TRUMP SIGNS ORDER PRIORITIZING ‘UNIFIED’ US FOREIGN POLICY FRONT
Trump besides said connected Thursday that Putin wants bid aft Russia invaded Ukraine successful 2022, comments that followed back-to-back calls with the Russian person and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy connected Wednesday. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent besides traveled to Kyiv connected Wednesday.
Trump, who met with Zelenskyy successful New York successful September 2024, urged Putin to cease the warfare — oregon look sanctions — successful a station connected Truth Social connected Jan. 22.
"Settle now, and STOP this ridiculous War! IT'S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE," Trump wrote. If we don't marque a 'deal', and soon, I person nary different prime but to enactment precocious levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions connected thing being sold by Russia to the United States, and assorted different participating countries."
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