Trump to Push Putin, Xi on Nuclear Disarmament; White House Expects No Deal

U.S. President Donald Trump will push Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss nuclear weapons reductions during an unprecedented three-way meeting in China next week.

Trump to Push Nuclear Arms Cuts with Putin, Xi

White House spokesperson Olivia Wilson said Friday that Trump will raise nuclear disarmament during his meeting with Putin and Xi on Thursday at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Shenzhen, China, according to Reuters.

" He will discuss the reduction of global nuclear weapons, and President Trump believes nuclear proliferation is very dangerous," Wilson told reporters.

The Republican president has repeatedly emphasized that nuclear arms reductions are a priority for the meeting, although China's primary purpose in hosting the summit is to discuss trade and commerce.

A senior Trump administration official acknowledged that a deal is unlikely, describing the issue as a "difficult topic for China to address."

"We don't expect any form of agreement to be reached," the official said.

However, the official said Washington hopes Beijing will "step up" and participate in discussions involving the world's largest nuclear-weapon states.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Why China Resists Nuclear Talks

Beijing has historically refused direct nuclear negotiations with Washington, arguing that the U.S. and Russia should first address their much larger nuclear arsenals.

According to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Russia holds the world's largest stockpile of nuclear warheads, followed by the United States and China.

The discussion comes after the New START treaty, which previously constrained nuclear arms limits between Washington and Moscow, expired in February of this year.

Trump to Discuss Iran, Skip Ukraine Issue

The administration official said Trump will also raise the war on Iran but is not expected to discuss Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine.

The president is also unlikely to meet separately with Putin or discuss Ukraine's access to SpaceX's Starlink satellite communications service.

Elon Musk is reportedly accompanying Trump on the four-day Asia trip but will not attend the meeting with Putin and Xi.

Trump is also not expected to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during the visit, which begins Monday and includes a stop in the Philippines.