In a telephone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump reiterated his desire for arms control on Thursday, the White House said in a statement that involves both Russia and China.
The White House said in a statement:
“President Trump reaffirmed that the United States is committed to effective arms control that includes not only Russia, but also China, and looks forward to future discussions to avoid a costly arms race,”
Trump has called repeatedly, to no avail so far, for China to join the US and Russia in talks on an arms control deal to replace the 2010 New START treaty between Washington and Moscow that expires in February.
New START restricted the deployment of no more than 1,550 nuclear warheads, the lowest amount in decades, and limited the land-and submarine-based missiles and bombers that deliver them.
China, estimated to have around 300 nuclear weapons, has dismissed Trump’s plan on many occasions, claiming that its nuclear arsenal is defensive and poses no threat.
The call, which took place in Europe on the 75th anniversary of the end of World War Two, also covered research to combat the latest coronavirus epidemic as well as other issues, the White House said, with Trump saying the U.S. stood ready to help every country battling the disease including Russia.
Trump later told reporters that Putin had approved his offer to provide ventilators to help treat people with the potentially deadly respiratory disease, adding that Russia is having a tough time with coronavirus.
In a separate statement, the Kremlin said:
“It was proposed by the American side to send a cargo of medical equipment to Russia”
The Kremlin also said the two leaders had been discussing the global oil market and other topics.
No clear reference was made to arms control, except for a brief reference to the two countries being able to work together to ensure “strategic stability.”
The Panthera Post 