As Russia and the United States engage in diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine, both powers have placed arms control high on their agenda.
The Kremlin told reporters on March 7 that it is open to dialogue and broad discussions with the U.S. regarding their nuclear arsenals after U.S. President Donald Trump made a general call for other nuclear powers to reduce their stockpiles.
“Nuclear dialogue between Russia and the U.S. is essential, especially when it comes to strategic stability,” said Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.
This response came a day after Trump pledged to make nuclear disarmament a goal of his second presidential term, aiming to improve U.S.-Russia relations and draft a peace agreement to end the three-year war in Ukraine.
The Kremlin’s statements came at a time when Washington is preparing to meet with Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia next week to work on a peace agreement, following similar talks with Russia in February.
“It would be good if everyone would dismantle their nuclear weapons,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on March 6. “I know that Russia and we have the most [nuclear weapons]. In four or five years, China will have the same number of weapons. It would be good if we disarmed because the power of nuclear weapons is insane.”
While Trump specifically spoke about the nuclear stockpiles of China, Russia, and the U.S. — the countries with the largest nuclear arsenals in the world — Peskov said the discussion should also involve European nuclear powers, such as the UK and France, especially considering recent statements from French President Emmanuel Macron. The French leader has declared his willingness to extend his country’s nuclear umbrella to other European states.
The Kremlin has criticized Macron’s offer, saying it carries “nuclear blackmail tones” and that France is seeking to take “nuclear leadership in Europe.”
Trump’s comments on nuclear arms control follow statements he made in February, when he said he wanted to restart nuclear arms control talks with Russia and China as part of a process in which all three countries would halve their defense budgets, reports REL.
Russia and the U.S. are the two largest nuclear powers in the world, each possessing over 5,000 nuclear warheads. China is believed to have around 500, while France has 290 and the UK has 225.
Russia had suspended its participation in the New START nuclear arms control treaty with the U.S. during the previous administration under Democrat Joe Biden.
