What Happens When North Korea Talks Fail?
James Acton | Huffington Post
The Trump-Kim summit—and particularly its aftermath—was a farce. While it doesn’t need to be this way, the president’s bombastic all-or-nothing approach to denuclearizing North Korea means that, by the end of this process, we could easily be closer to a war than when we began. If there is a way out of this mess, it must involve the United States adopting realistic goals.
Nuclear Arms Control Shaken by New Instability
Ulrich Kühn | International Politics and Society
The nuclear deterrence relationship between the West and Russia is becoming increasingly unstable. Driven by mutual perceptions of insecurity, both are about to enter a new arms race. The main problem is that each side is entertaining very different threat perceptions on very different levels of military competition. This situation heightens the risk of a complete breakdown of the bilateral nuclear arms control architecture.
North Korea Is a Nuclear Power. Get Used to It.
Vipin Narang and Ankit Panda | New York Times
North Korea has arrived as a nuclear power, and there is no going back. Once the reality-show theatrics of the Singapore summit meeting subside, we are left with the reality that North Korea was just recognized as a de facto nuclear weapons power. Whatever the terms of the statement released at the end of the meeting, Mr. Kim has not committed to anything concrete. He is not surrendering North Korea’s nuclear weapons and has walked away the big winner.
‘Ludicrous’: Pompeo Snaps at Reporters Seeking Clarity on North Korea Deal
Michael Crowley and Louis Nelson | Politico
During a visit to South Korea Wednesday, Pompeo bristled at and called “ludicrous” questions about why a document Trump and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un signed on Tuesday did not include language that Pompeo has called essential to any nuclear deal.
China Says Its Proposal Practical After Trump Says to Halt Korean Drills
Reuters
China said on Wednesday that U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement that the United States would halt military exercises on the Korean peninsula shows China’s “dual suspension” proposal is practical and tenable. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang made the comments at a daily news briefing in Beijing.
U.S. Senators Grapple With New Sub-Launched Nuke
Joe Gould | Defense News
The U.S. Senate voted against scuttling legislation to force the Trump administration to seek congressional approval for a new low-yield, tactical nuclear weapon. The narrow 47-51 vote not to table that legislation—a proposed amendment to the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act—was the latest move in a partisan chess game over development of a new, tactical submarine-launched nuclear missile.