President Trump said Monday that he will have discussions in the future with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin to halt the “uncontrollable arms race.”
“I am certain that, at some time in the future, President Xi and I, together with President Putin of Russia, will start talking about a meaningful halt to what has become a major and uncontrollable Arms Race,” Trump tweeted Monday morning. “The U.S. spent 716 Billion Dollars this year. Crazy!”
I am certain that, at some time in the future, President Xi and I, together with President Putin of Russia, will start talking about a meaningful halt to what has become a major and uncontrollable Arms Race. The U.S. spent 716 Billion Dollars this year. Crazy!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 3, 2018
Earlier this year, Congress passed a $716 billion defense spending bill that funds not just arms, but all of the Pentagon. That figure represented an increase that the Trump administration fought for, justified partly to build up the military in response to China and Russia.
Earlier in the morning, Trump said that the relations with China took a “BIG leap forward” after his meeting with the Chinese leader at the G-20 summit in Argentina over the weekend where the two agreed to a temporary trade war cease-fire.
