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World February 23, 2026

U.S. Holds Geneva Talks With Russia, Plans Meeting With China on Multilateral Arms Control

Washington seeks to expand nuclear arms pact to include China and Russia after New START lapse; Chinese participation remains uncertain

By Ajmal Hussain
U.S. Holds Geneva Talks With Russia, Plans Meeting With China on Multilateral Arms Control

The United States met with a Russian delegation in Geneva and is scheduled to meet a Chinese delegation to discuss the possibility of a broader multilateral nuclear arms control agreement, a senior State Department official said. The move follows the expiration of the New START treaty and comes amid publicly stated Chinese reluctance to enter trilateral negotiations at this point.

Key Points

  • The United States met with a Russian delegation in Geneva and plans to meet a Chinese delegation to discuss a potential multilateral nuclear arms control treaty.
  • The initiative aims to expand arms control arrangements to include China and Russia after the New START agreement expired; China has publicly said it will not participate in new trilateral negotiations at this time.
  • Washington reports productive bilateral discussions with the United Kingdom and France and says extending talks to the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council was the next logical step; optimism was expressed by a senior U.S. official. Sectors commonly sensitive to such geopolitical developments include defense contractors and energy markets.

Geneva talks underway

The United States held talks with a Russian delegation in Geneva on Monday and intends to meet with a Chinese delegation on Tuesday to explore prospects for a wider nuclear arms control treaty, a senior U.S. State Department official said. The effort is framed as an attempt to create a new, broader agreement that would include China as well as Russia following the expiration of the New START treaty - the accord that previously limited deployments of missiles and warheads between the United States and Russia.

China's stance and diplomatic reactions

Earlier this month, China's ambassador for disarmament, Shen Jian, stated that China would not join new nuclear arms control negotiations with Moscow and Washington at this stage. It was not immediately clear whether the scheduled meeting with the Chinese delegation would amount to formal negotiations or preliminary discussions. At the time of the U.S. official's comments, the Chinese and Russian permanent missions in Geneva had not responded to requests for comment.

Previous allegations and denials

In early February, the United States accused China of conducting a secret nuclear test in June 2020. Shen Jian has denied that allegation. The senior U.S. official emphasized that Washington had already held productive bilateral conversations with the United Kingdom and France, both also permanent members of the U.N. Security Council.

Next steps and outlook

According to the U.S. official, broadening the dialogue to include all five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council was described as "the next logical step," and the official characterized the outlook as optimistic. Beyond that statement, no further procedural details or commitments about the format and scope of forthcoming meetings were provided.

Note: This report reflects the U.S. official's account of recent diplomatic activity related to potential multilateral arms control discussions and reports made public by the named Chinese official. Where available, responses from the Chinese and Russian missions were not provided.

Risks

  • China's stated reluctance to join trilateral negotiations creates uncertainty about whether a broader multilateral treaty can be achieved - this uncertainty could be relevant for defense-related markets and government procurement planning.
  • It is unclear whether the planned meeting with the Chinese delegation will involve formal negotiations or preliminary discussions, leaving the process and timeline uncertain - this procedural ambiguity can affect diplomatic momentum and related market sentiment.
  • At the time of reporting, the Chinese and Russian permanent missions in Geneva had not provided responses to requests for comment, indicating limited transparency or engagement that could hamper progress on the talks.

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