This is John Batchel, a conversation with colleague Katrina Vandenhova of the Nation magazine

about a reference that Mr. Trump made to a third world war to be avoided.

Also a reference he made in the original comment about what he wanted to achieve with Russia.

He called it denuking.

This is the nuclear arms control that has been troubled these many decades since the Cold War and during the Cold War.

In order for it to be effective, China must be brought into the conversation.

Therefore, Mr. Trump is looking for something much larger than now exists and much more difficult

to put together and suggesting a 50% reduction in defense budgets for the three nuclear

states of primary concern, U.S., Russia, and China, the People's Republic of China, a very grand ambition.

Katrina measures it.

Is Katrina on what appears to be Mr. Trump's initiation of a three-way conversation to limit nuclear arms and to cut back on defense budgets.

Much better things to spend it on.

More of this later tonight.

So two issues about China.

There is a view that this may be a Nixon-goes-to-China moment where Trump is trying to delink

Russia and China.

I think that relationship, not friendship, is very strong, Russia, China.

But I also think in terms of what Trump put forward, I mean, I don't know where he got the point of view,

but it's eminently reasonable considering Mr. Musk is doing doge and cutting that the largest

non-discretionary expenditures in this country

are on defense. And I think at 50% cut, if you brought in China as well, that would be something

to watch February 20, February, in February, 2006, when the last remaining arms control

...