The leaders of the three countries with the largest nuclear arsenals could soon sit down together, if all three agree.
President Donald Trump said Oct. 19, 2026, that he is open to a trilateral meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss denuclearization.
Who proposed the trilateral meeting?
Moscow did. Earlier that day, a Kremlin spokesman proposed a meeting among the three leaders and suggested it could take place on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Shenzhen, China, next month.
The summit, which brings together leaders of Pacific Rim economies, is scheduled for Nov. 18 and 19.
There was no immediate public response from Beijing to the proposal. Xi and Putin have met frequently in recent years and describe their countries’ ties as a strategic partnership.
What did Trump say about the trilateral meeting?
Speaking to reporters outside the White House, Trump said he would do it. He said the purpose would be to discuss nuclear weapons and denuclearization rather than the war in Ukraine. He made the comments a day after defending his decision to waive new Russia sanctions.
If Xi wants such a trilateral meeting, Trump said, he would hold one, adding that the leaders would likely talk about trade too.
Trump also said Russia has been fine on Ukraine recently and has not been doing much, and said the same about China. Ukrainian officials have reported continued Russian attacks in recent days, including strikes on energy infrastructure.
Why is arms control back on the table?
There are no binding limits left between Washington and Moscow. The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, known as New START, expired Feb. 5, 2026. It had been in force since February 2011 and was the last nuclear arms control treaty between the two countries. The treaty had capped each side at 1,550 deployed strategic warheads and allowed inspections to verify compliance. Russia suspended its participation in 2023.
Trump has called for a new agreement with Russia since the treaty lapsed. Last week, he said he was already discussing denuclearization with both Xi and Putin.
He also said China may be less willing to join because its arsenal is much smaller. Russia and the United States hold an estimated 5,420 and 5,042 warheads, respectively, compared with about 620 for China, according to the Federation of American Scientists.
Would China agree to a trilateral meeting?
That is unclear. Beijing has long argued that the United States and Russia should make deep cuts to their arsenals before China joins any arms control talks. China has never been part of a binding agreement limiting its nuclear weapons.
Chinese officials have said they keep only the minimum nuclear force needed for defense. U.S. officials, meanwhile, have projected China’s arsenal could top 1,000 warheads by 2030.
A trilateral meeting would mark a rare moment of direct talks among the three leaders on nuclear issues. Past efforts to bring China into arms control talks have gone nowhere, and any agreement among three powers would be far more complex to negotiate and verify.
What else is happening around the trip?
Trump is expected to attend the APEC summit and has also said he may meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during the trip. China hosts this year’s summit.
The offer comes days after Trump waived new sanctions on Russia, arguing the move was needed to keep Moscow at the negotiating table on Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called that waiver a historic mistake.
Whether a trilateral meeting actually happens will depend on Beijing. For now, the idea of a trilateral meeting adds another layer to an already busy diplomatic calendar.
