Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin appear aligned on defense spending, with both leaders expressing support for cutting military budgets by half. Trump proposed that the US, Russia, and China collaborate on this initiative, which Putin welcomed, emphasizing Moscow’s openness to negotiations. In contrast, China’s President Xi Jinping rejected the idea, insisting on the necessity of Beijing’s military expansion to protect sovereignty and security. With Russia’s significant military budget increases amid the Ukraine conflict, discussions on potential cuts may indicate a possible truce. Meanwhile, Trump advocates for nuclear disarmament among the three nations, highlighting their dominance in global nuclear arsenals.
Moscow, Russia:
Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin appear to share similar perspectives on numerous issues these days. In fact, Russia and the US now seem to act like allies, leaving the rest of the globe bewildered. The most recent area of consensus between these two leaders focuses on defense spending.
President Trump has recently suggested that the United States, Russia, and China should all reduce their military expenditures and defense budgets by half. To many’s surprise, Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomed this idea, calling it a “good proposal” and expressing Moscow’s willingness “for a discussion” to explore such an arrangement.
Conversely, China’s Xi Jinping has dismissed the proposal in light of Beijing’s expansionist strategies.
PUTIN SUPPORTS TRUMP
When questioned about Moscow’s stance on President Trump’s proposal during a TV interview, President Putin remarked, “I think it’s a good idea. The US would reduce its defense budget by 50%, and we would do the same, and then China could join if it wishes.”
In response to further queries, Mr. Putin stated that while he cannot represent China, he assured that Moscow would definitely be receptive to negotiations. “We can reach a mutual agreement with Washington regarding the 50 percent defense budget cuts. We are not opposed to it at all,” he affirmed.
Over the last three years, since the onset of the war in Ukraine, Russia has considerably raised its military budget. President Putin has publicly acknowledged that Moscow’s defense expenditures constituted nearly 9 percent of Russia’s GDP.
Moscow’s openness to discussing coordinated cuts in defense spending with Washington serves as another indicator that a truce in the Ukraine conflict might be on the horizon. This potential move by Moscow could also pacify European and NATO allies who have expressed concerns regarding Russia’s military capabilities and ongoing arms buildup.
CHINA REJECTS TRUMP’S PROPOSAL
Beijing has made it abundantly clear that it has no intention of slowing down its extensive arms buildup. It has asserted that Washington and Moscow are free to proceed as they wish, but Beijing will definitely not be part of such an effort.
Describing its defense budget as “limited” and “necessary,” a spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry, Lin Jian, stated that “China’s defense spending is limited and essential for protecting its sovereignty, security, and developmental interests.”
The spokesperson further mentioned that Beijing’s military budget is “justified,” as it aims to address its “domestic and regional security needs,” while also contributing to “global peace.”
Mr. Lin added that “China adheres to a strategy of self-defense, pursues balanced growth between its economy and national defense, and does not engage in an arms race with any country.”
With a defense budget of $236 billion, China holds the title of having the second-largest military budget globally, following the United States. Beijing has been incrementally increasing its military spending each year since Xi Jinping assumed the presidency. In the year 2024 alone, Beijing raised its annual defense budget by 7.2 percent in comparison to the previous year.
China is rapidly modernizing its military across terrestrial, aerial, maritime, and extraterrestrial domains, with ambitions to surpass the US as the world’s military superpower.
DONALD TRUMP’S APPEAL
Earlier this month, Donald Trump stated, “One of the first meetings I want to have is with President Xi of China and President Putin of Russia, and I want to say to them, ‘let’s cut our military budget in half’,” adding, “There’s no reason for us to be spending almost $1 trillion on military. There’s no reason for you to be spending $400 billion – China is going to be at $400 billion,” he said. “I’m going to suggest that we can resolve this and allocate these funds to other priorities.”
“And I believe we will be able to achieve this,” President Trump declared.
President Trump has even urged Putin and Xi Jinping to engage in denuclearization and reduce their nuclear stockpiles. The US, Russia, and China collectively possess the majority of nuclear weapons worldwide, accounting for more than 90 percent of all weapons of mass destruction.
“We already have so many nuclear weapons that we could annihilate the world 100 times over,” President Trump remarked, adding that “China is striving to catch up because they’re significantly behind us (the US and Russia), but within five or six years, they’ll be at parity,” he stated.