In recent remarks made to the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, US President Donald Trump reignited a discussion on the possibility of reducing nuclear weapons stockpiles globally, particularly between the US, Russia, and China. Trump reflected on past talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, emphasizing that both leaders were in favor of limiting nuclear arms during his presidency. This statement has sparked renewed debate on arms control, especially considering the shifting dynamics between nuclear powers and the evolving security concerns surrounding global conflict.

Trump’s remarks on January 23 indicated his intention to revive the idea of denuclearization, a goal he claimed Putin was supportive of during their private discussions ahead of the 2020 US presidential election. The former president expressed hope that both Russia and China would re-engage in discussions about reducing their nuclear arsenals, emphasizing the potential global benefits of such an agreement. “I can tell you that President Putin wanted to do it, he and I wanted to do it,” Trump said, underlining the importance of multilateral cooperation in achieving a nuclear-free future.

Trump’s comments bring back memories of the talks he held with President Putin in 2019, which focused on the possibility of a major arms control deal among the three leading nuclear powers: the United States, Russia, and China. The talks occurred at a time when the New START treaty, the cornerstone of arms control between Washington and Moscow, was set to expire in 2021. The treaty, which had been in effect since 2011, required both countries to cut their deployed strategic nuclear warheads to the lowest level seen in decades.

During those years, Trump suggested that both the US and Russia could move beyond the New START framework and enter into broader negotiations that would include China, which was increasingly seen as a rising nuclear power. Trump’s remarks pointed to the possibility of a “new accord” between the nuclear giants that could potentially redefine global arms control in a way that hadn’t been........

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