U.S. President Donald Trump said that instead of extending the nuclear arms reduction treaty between the United States and Russia, the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), a new treaty needs to be prepared.
On the 5th (local time), President Trump posted on his social media, Truth Social, that "rather than extending New START, we should have our nuclear experts seek a new, modernized treaty that can endure into the future."
On New START, he called it "a deal the United States negotiated terribly" and said it is "being flagrantly violated."
Trump's remarks align with his existing position that, instead of extending New START, a nuclear disarmament treaty should be concluded that includes other military powers with nuclear weapons, such as China.
Earlier, in an interview with the New York Times (NYT) about New START, Trump said, "If it expires, it expires, and we will make a better deal," adding that "a couple more players may be involved."
The day before, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also said at a press conference that "in the past, the president made clear that it is impossible to achieve true arms control in the 21st century without including China."
However, China has signaled opposition, saying that being asked at this point to participate in a nuclear disarmament agreement is "neither fair nor reasonable."