'We can’t let nuclear weapons proliferate': Donald Trump vows to stop Russia and China from creating more nukes

US President Donald Trump said on Monday that he has discussed limiting nuclear weapons with Russian President Vladimir Putin and now wants China to be part of those efforts.

“We are talking about limiting nuclear weapons. We will get China into that," Trump told reporters at a press briefing in the Oval Office.

He described the current balance of power in nuclear weapons. “We have the most. Russia has the second most, and China has third."


While acknowledging Beijing’s smaller stockpile compared with Washington and Moscow, Trump warned that it would not remain that way for long. “China is way behind, but they will catch us in five years," he said.

Figures from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) show the scale of the challenge. As of January 2025, the United States and Russia together hold around 90 per cent of the world’s nuclear warheads. China is estimated to have at least 600, with its stockpile continuing to grow.

Meeting with South Korea’s leader

Trump made his comments during the White House visit of South Korean President Lee Jae-myung. The meeting underlined closer ties between Washington and Seoul at a time when nuclear security and regional stability are drawing renewed international attention.

Cooperation over confrontation

“I think the denuclearisation is a very … big game, but Russia’s willing to do it, and I think China’s going to be willing to do it," Trump said. He pointed to the need for cooperation between the major nuclear powers if progress is to be made.

Trump also mentioned Putin’s trip to Alaska on 15 August, describing it as a signal that Moscow was prepared to talk. At the same time, he admitted anger over Russia’s continued strikes in Ukraine.

“Every conversation I have with him is a good conversation. And then, unfortunately, a bomb is loaded up into Kiev … and then I would get very angry," Trump said.

He noted that nuclear talks form part of wider negotiations aimed at resolving the conflict. Trump repeated America’s support for Ukrainian sovereignty and said discussions about potential security guarantees for Kyiv remain active.