Amid the frantic pace of ongoing diplomatic outreach between Russia and the United States over ending the war in Ukraine, the two powers also have arms control high on their agendas.
The Kremlin told reporters on March 7 that it was open to dialogue and broad discussions with the United States about their nuclear arsenals after US President Donald Trump issued a broad call for other nuclear powers to draw down their stockpiles.
SEE ALSO: Ukraine Prepares For US Talks In Saudi Arabia After Europe Rallies Around Zelenskyy"Dialogue between Russia and the US on arms control is necessary, especially concerning strategic stability," Peskov said.
That came in response to comments the previous day by Trump, who pledged to make denuclearization a goal in his second term as his administration looks to realign the US-Russia relationship and craft a peace settlement that ends the three-year war in Ukraine.
The comments also come as Washington prepares to hold a meeting with Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia next week about reaching a peace deal after holding similar talks with Russia in February.
"It would be great if everybody got rid of their nuclear weapons," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on March 6. "I know Russia and us have by far the most. China will have an equal amount within four to five years. It would be great if we could all denuclearize because the power of nuclear weapons is crazy."
While Trump specifically addressed the nuclear stockpiles held by China, Russia, and the United States -- who hold the world's largest nuclear-armed number of nuclear weapons -- Peskov said that discussion should also include European nuclear powers Britain and France, especially given recent comments by French President Emmanuel Macron where he said in a televised address that Paris was willing to extend its nuclear umbrella to other European nations.
The Kremlin criticized Macron’s offer, saying it contained "notes of nuclear blackmail" and that France was staking a claim to "nuclear leadership in Europe."
Trump's comments on nuclear arms control build on previous statements in February where he said he wants to restart nuclear arms control talks with Russia and China as part of a process that could see all three countries agree to cut their massive defense budgets in half.
Russia and the United States are the world's largest nuclear powers with more than 5,000 nuclear warheads each, while China is believed to have around 500. France’s stockpile sits at 290 and Britain at 225.
SEE ALSO: Can Russia Be A Trustworthy Mediator For Iran?Trump also tried to bring China into nuclear arms reduction talks when the United States and Russia were negotiating an extension of a pact known as New START. Russia suspended its participation in the treaty during the administration of former US President Joe Biden, as the United States and Russia continued their massive programs to extend the lifespans of or replace their cold war-era nuclear arsenals.