From NBC News · Megan Shannon · · 4m
Trump, Xi and Putin plan unprecedented three-way summit
The leaders of the world's three biggest nuclear powers will meet on the sidelines of an economic summit in China next week to discuss arms reduction.
In brief
The leaders of the world's three biggest nuclear powers will meet on the sidelines of an economic summit in China next week to discuss arms reduction. Trump will meet Xi and Putin at an APEC summit in Shenzhen to discuss nuclear weapons reduction, an unprecedented gathering of the three largest nuclear powers…
Three nuclear powers to meet in China
President Trump will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen next week.
Nuclear weapons reduction is key topic
Trump will discuss the reduction of nuclear weapons in the world, which he believes is very dangerous. The meeting is described as an entry point and first conversation on the issue.
No agreement expected from the meeting
A senior U.S. official said it is not anticipated that any sort of agreement will come from the trilateral meeting, describing it as the first conversation on nuclear arms reduction.
China's nuclear arsenal is much smaller
Beijing has more than six hundred warheads according to Pentagon estimates, far smaller than the U.S. and Russia, each estimated to have more than five thousand warheads.
China has shown little interest in nuclear pacts
With U.S. and Russian arsenals dwarfing its stockpile, China has shown little interest in developing a nuclear pact despite pressure from the other two powers.
New START treaty expired in February
The last nuclear arms pact between Russia and the United States expired in February, removing caps on the two largest atomic arsenals for the first time in more than a half-century.
Trump calls for modernized nuclear deal
Trump rejected Russia's call to extend the New START treaty for another year and called for a new, improved and modernized deal that includes China.
Iran war on agenda, not Ukraine
Trump intends to discuss the Iran war with the two leaders but not the war in Ukraine, as discussions about Ukraine are a separate track that China is not part of.
Trump and Xi have warmed relations
Trump has warmly embraced Xi after coming to a truce in their short-lived trade war last year, despite differences over the U.S. war with Iran and other tensions.
Trump seeks closer ties with Putin
Trump has sought to build his relationship with Putin even as the Russian leader has persisted in his nearly five-year-old war with Ukraine and deepened ties with Iran.
No bilateral meeting with Putin scheduled
There is no bilateral meeting with Putin scheduled, but the two leaders will appear at events and the trilateral meeting together, according to a senior U.S. official.
Elon Musk is only business leader in delegation
Elon Musk will be the only business leader who is part of the president's delegation. Musk will not be part of any official meetings, according to a senior U.S. official.
Putin sees chance to signal superpower status
For the Kremlin, the planned trilateral meeting is a coveted chance to posture as a superpower on par with Washington and Beijing, signaling desire to make decisions on Ukraine.
Meeting could undermine China's multilateralism message
The trilateral meeting could undercut China's push to portray itself as a defender of free trade at APEC and runs counter to Chinese support of multilateralism.
Zelenskyy concerned about Ukraine deal talks
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed concern that the trilateral meeting could serve as a platform for discussing a possible Ukraine deal behind Kyiv's back.
Kremlin dismisses Yalta Conference comparisons
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed comparisons to the nineteen forty-five Yalta Conference, noting that any potential agreements reached in Shenzhen cannot be enforced on others.
The key point
Trump will meet Xi and Putin at an APEC summit in Shenzhen to discuss nuclear weapons reduction, an unprecedented gathering of the three largest nuclear powers.
