Trump to Meet Xi and Putin for Nuclear Arms Talks

Trump is scheduled to meet Xi and Putin in Shenzhen on November 19, during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference. It would be the first summit involving the leaders of the United States, China and Russia together, three countries that hold most of the world’s nuclear weapons.

The discussion is expected to focus chiefly on developing a nuclear arms control agreement. Trump has pursued such a deal since his first term and has said that maintaining large nuclear arsenals is unnecessarily costly.

Other possible topics include the war in Iran and North Korea, a White House official said. Russia’s war in Ukraine could also be raised, although it is not considered a leading item on the agenda.

Trump previewed the gathering on Sunday, saying the leaders would discuss denuclearization as well as other issues. He also referred to efforts to end the war in Iran.

Trump last met Putin in person at a summit in Alaska in August, where he focused on efforts to end the war in Ukraine. Xi visited the White House in September for a meeting with Trump. Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, serving as US envoys, have sat down with Putin several times this year, including at the Kremlin on Thursday.

Trump’s Nuclear Deal Push Puts High-Stakes Diplomacy on Display

A proposed nuclear arms deal is set to take center stage when Trump meets Xi and Putin in Shenzhen on November 19. The gathering brings together leaders of the three countries with most of the world’s nuclear weapons, making the stakes of any agreement substantial.

Trump has sought a deal since his first term and argues that maintaining vast arsenals costs too much. That focus on expense cannot by itself answer the central question of what arms limits would mean for security. The summit’s expected emphasis on nuclear control makes the details of any proposed agreement crucial.

The leaders could also discuss Iran and North Korea, while Russia’s war in Ukraine may come up despite not being a leading agenda item. Trump’s past meetings with Xi and Putin, and the repeated contacts between US envoys and Putin this year, have set the stage for another round of high-level diplomacy.

Trump said on Sunday that denuclearization would be among the topics. The meeting offers an opening for negotiations, but its importance will depend on whether the leaders move beyond broad discussion toward an arms control pact.

Trump Brings Nuclear Arms Deal Push to Summit With Xi and Putin

Trump is taking his long-running push for a nuclear arms agreement directly to Xi and Putin, with a summit set for November 19 in Shenzhen. The leaders of the United States, China and Russia together oversee most of the world’s nuclear weapons, giving the meeting the potential to advance a consequential deal.

Trump has argued since his first term that maintaining huge nuclear stockpiles is needlessly expensive. Bringing the leaders together creates a chance to turn that case into negotiations, rather than leave nuclear arms control as an abstract goal.

The talks are expected to focus mainly on a pact. Iran and North Korea could also be discussed, and Ukraine may be raised, although it is not a top agenda item. Trump has already met Xi at the White House and Putin in Alaska, while US envoys have held repeated meetings with Putin this year.

Trump said the leaders would discuss denuclearization. The summit puts his effort to pursue a nuclear agreement before the two other powers whose participation would be central to any deal.