International: Trump wants to talk to Putin and XI about nuclear disarmament

US President Donald Trump outlined his far-reaching ideas about international cooperation with the great powers of Russia and China. There are said to be discussions about atomic disarmament with both countries, and he could also imagine a three-person meeting with President Vladimir Putin and XI Jinping, Trump said in the White House. He considers a return of Russia to the table of important industrialized nations (currently G7).

The three-way meeting with XI and Putin should come “if things have calmed down,” said Trump. The global political situation is currently very heated up. He wanted to speak to both individually, but also together, said the Republican. “I would like to say: Let’s reduce our military budget by half.” It was nonsensical that the three countries spent so much for the military and nuclear weapons.

No reason for new nuclear weapons

He is concerned with reducing the number of nuclear weapons, “and also that we don’t have to spend as much money on weapons, for military weapons in general”.

“There is no reason for us to build new nuclear weapons. We already have so many,” said Trump. “You could destroy the world 50 times or 100 times and we build new nuclear weapons and they build nuclear weapons.” The money could be invested differently, he argued. Denuklearization is a “beautiful” word.

Trump emphasizes personal connection to Putin and XI

Trump emphasized that he had a good relationship with both Putin and XI. “It’s about people.” He doesn’t care who took the first step. It is crucial what comes out as a result.

To a possible return of Russia to the circle of current G-7 countries, Trump said: “I would like to have them back with me”. The expulsion from the G8 at that time in 2014 was a “mistake”. It is not a question of whether or not to Russia or not, Trump continues.

The talks of the seven major industrialized nations have been in existence since 1975. Russia was admitted to the group in 2002 – at the time of Gerhard Schröders’ Chancellery – as a full member, which was called G8 for twelve years. In 2014, however, Russia was then excluded again because of the annexation of the Black Sea Peninsula Crimea shortly before a summit in Russian Sochi. Since then, the format has existed again as a G7.

Trump: Helpful if Russia were part of the group

Trump said it was quite possible that the Russian attack war on Ukraine would not have occurred if the G8 had still existed. Moscow attacked the neighboring country in February 2022. “I think it would have been very helpful and would still be helpful if Russia were part of the group.”

When asked whether the Ukrainians would have a place at the negotiating table in planned talks to terminate the Russian war of aggression, Trump said that they were “part of it”. In addition to Ukraine and Russia, “a lot of people” would be involved. He spoke of a “very interesting situation”.

Trump had phoned Putin on Wednesday. Then he spoke to the Ukrainian head of state Wolodymyr Selenskyj. In Washington, Trump said that someone said that he should have talked to Selenskyj first and then with Putin. “I don’t think so,” said Trump. He knew that Selenskyj wanted to negotiate “a deal” and you had to find out whether that also applies to Putin. “I now know that Russia wants to make a deal.”