---
title: "Trump says he would like conference with Russia, China on defense spending"
description: "WASHINGTON, Feb 13 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday he would like a conference with Russia and China to discuss defense spending."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "Newsdeck"
author: "Reuters"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/reuters/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-02-13-trump-says-he-would-like-conference-with-russia-china-on-defense-spending/"
published: "2025-02-13T21:38:47"
updated: "2025-02-13T21:38:48"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 35
---

# Trump says he would like conference with Russia, China on defense spending

> WASHINGTON, Feb 13 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday he would like a conference with Russia and China to discuss defense spending.

By Reuters · Published 13 February 2025, 23:38 SAST · Updated 13 February 2025, 23:38 SAST

## Key points
- In a surprising twist from the Oval Office, Trump declared his newfound love for denuclearization, suggesting that building nuclear weapons is as outdated as flip phones—though we’ll see if he sticks to his guns or just flips them.
- Trump expresses support for denuclearization efforts during Oval Office remarks.
- He emphasizes there’s no justification for developing nuclear weapons.
- The comments come amidst ongoing discussions about nuclear arms reduction.
- Reporting by Andrea Shalal and Steve Holland, edited by Chris Reese.

## Content

Trump, speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, also said he supports moves toward denuclearization and there is no reason to build nuclear weapons.

(Reporting by Andrea Shalal and Steve Holland; Editing by Chris Reese)