Rubio: Any Nuclear Arms Treaty Must Involve U.S., China, and Russia

"Any further nuclear weapons agreement must involve the United States, China, and Russia—that would be good for the entire world," the U.S. Secretary of State noted. Rubio also said that the U.S. can only persuade and indirectly pressure China, but not "force" such an agreement.

As a reminder, the agreement limiting U.S. and Russian nuclear arsenals expired earlier this month. Last year, Moscow stated that it was prepared to fulfill its obligations under the treaty even after expiration, provided the United States reciprocates. However, Washington did not respond to this proposal, merely proposing a new deal with China's participation.

Chinese authorities have stated that their weapons are significantly less powerful than those of the U.S. and Russia, and therefore they do not intend to sign a nuclear arms treaty.