US refuses China’s presence in disarmament talks

Negotiations resumed in Vienna this week on a top Trump priority and potential election year twist: a U.S.-Russia nuclear agreement, Report says, citing Axios.

In the next several months, President Trump and Vladimir Putin could either sign a framework for the future of arms control or put the last major treaty constraining the world's two largest nuclear arsenals on course for expiration in February.

Trump has had a surprising number of calls with Putin recently, and often speaks of wanting to avoid an "arms race."
The man tasked with delivering a deal, U.S. arms control envoy Marshall Billingslea, spoke with Axios shortly after returning from Vienna.

The Trump administration has abandoned its demand that China should be involved in any nuclear talks. It's now aiming to reach a political accord with Russia, and then pressure China to join negotiations and eventually a treaty.