The United States has held talks with Russian officials in Geneva and is set to meet a Chinese delegation as Washington seeks to lay the groundwork for a potential multilateral nuclear arms control agreement, a senior State Department official told Reuters on Monday (Tuesday AEDT).
According to the official, U.S. representatives met a Russian delegation on Monday and will hold discussions with Chinese counterparts on Tuesday in the Swiss city, as part of efforts to explore a broader framework to curb nuclear weapons development.
The push follows the expiration of New START on 5 February. The accord had been the sole remaining treaty limiting the deployment of nuclear warheads by the United States and Russia.
Its lapse has left the world’s two largest nuclear powers without formal constraints on their strategic arsenals.
President Donald Trump has called for a new agreement that would extend beyond Moscow to include Beijing, arguing that any future framework must reflect China’s growing military capabilities.
Washington has long advocated for a more comprehensive arms control arrangement incorporating China alongside Russia.
However, Beijing’s nuclear arsenal remains significantly smaller than those of the United States and Russia, even as it expands at a rapid pace.
Chinese officials have consistently rejected calls to enter trilateral negotiations.
Earlier this month, China’s ambassador for disarmament, Shen Jian, stated that Beijing would not participate in new three-way nuclear arms control negotiations with Washington and Moscow at this stage.
It remains unclear whether the current discussions in Geneva will evolve into formal negotiations or remain exploratory in nature.
Tensions between Washington and Beijing have also been heightened by U.S. allegations that China conducted a secret nuclear test in June 2020. Shen has categorically denied the accusation.
The senior U.S. official said Washington had already engaged in constructive bilateral discussions with the United Kingdom and France, both permanent members of the United Nations Security Council.
“Taking discussions to the five permanent members of the Security Council was the next logical step,” the official said, expressing optimism about the diplomatic process.
In addition to the Russia and China meetings, U.S. officials are scheduled to hold talks with an Iranian delegation in Geneva on Thursday.
