Trump tweeted on Monday that he is certain he and Xi Jinping, together with Vladimir Putin, will start talking about a meaningful halt to what has become a major and uncontrollable arms race.

This came after he emphasized that US-China relations have taken a big leap forward, referring to his meeting with President Xi in Argentina.

In October, Trump announced that the United States will leave the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, citing violations by Russia.

Russia had said it was ready to discuss nuclear disarmament at a planned meeting between Putin and Trump on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in Argentina.

But Trump cancelled the meeting, reacting to Russia's recent seizure of Ukrainian naval ships and crewmembers off the coast of Crimea.

It remains to be seen whether the recent apparent thaw in the US-China relations will lead to a full-fledged easing of trade friction between the 2 countries.

The prospects for the US, China and Russia agreeing to discuss disarmament seem far from certain.