Trump’s Silence on Russian Missiles Makes America Less Safe
Jon Wolfsthal
Russia presents security challenges to the United States and its allies for which the Trump administration has yet to indicate any kind of a policy direction or goals. In the nuclear arena, none of these challenges are more acute than Russia’s ongoing violation of the 1987 Intermediate Range Nuclear Force (INF) Treaty. That Treaty, signed by Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev, banned the Soviet Union and the United States from having or testing ground-launched missiles with ranges between 312 and 3,428 miles.
Nuclear Test Ban Facing New Challenge on Trump's Watch
Masakatsu Ota | Kyodo News
Recent tweets and comments about nuclear weapons by U.S. President Donald Trump have created a series of shockwaves among his allies, including Japan, and potential foes, like North Korea. It would be “a dream” if no country had nuclear weapons, “but if countries are going to have nukes, we’re going to be the top of the pack,” Trump told Reuters last month. This comment immediately deepened public concern in Japan, which 72 years ago became the sole nation to come under nuclear
North Korean Missiles Trigger Talk in Japan of Pre-Emptive Strike Ability
Alastair Gale and Chieko Tsuneoka | Wall Street Journal
North Korea’s advancing nuclear-tipped missile program is fueling a new push by hawkish Japanese politicians to enable Tokyo to pre-emptively attack North Korean launch sites if Japan appears under imminent threat.
U.S. and South Korea Rebuff China’s Proposal to Defuse Korea Tensions
Chris Buckley and Somini Senguptamarch | New York Times
China tried unsuccessfully to calm newly volatile tensions on the Korean Peninsula on Wednesday, proposing that North Korea freeze nuclear and missile programs in exchange for a halt to major military exercises by American and South Korean forces. The proposal was rejected hours later by the United States and South Korea.
Trump Administration Pledges ‘Great Strictness’ on Iran Nuclear Deal
Reuters
U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration pledged on Tuesday to show “great strictness” over restrictions on Iran’s nuclear activities imposed by a deal with major powers, but gave little indication of what that might mean for the agreement. The statement to a quarterly meeting of the U.N. nuclear watchdog's Board of Governors was the first since Trump took office in January, but it also repeated language used by the administration of former U.S. president Barack Obama.
Germany Delays Contract With MBDA for Missile Defense
Sabine Siebold | Reuters
Germany's defense ministry on Tuesday told lawmakers it would not complete a contract with European weapons maker MBDA for a multi-billion euro missile defense system during the current legislative period as planned, ministry sources said. The delay in the Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS) project marks another setback for Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen, who has sought to reform Germany's troubled weapons procurement process since taking office in late 2013. A second multi-billion euro program to build a new multi-role ship has also been delayed.