When Kim Jong-un Speaks, the United States Should Listen Carefully
Toby Dalton | Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Is North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un a man of his word when it comes to nuclear weapons? The prevailing wisdom in Washington is that he will lie and cheat on any promises he makes. But lately Kim has been making good on his public commitments, both negative and positive. The big question heading into 2019 is whether the United States and North Korea can agree on a next step that will sustain diplomacy. The answer may well come from Kim himself when he gives his annual New Year’s address on January 1. Kim’s words matter, both at home and abroad. Although he doesn’t have to worry about a future election, he clearly is sensitive to perceived domestic threats to his regime and the level of support for his rule among military and political elites. Accordingly, he has been very careful to make promises he thinks he can keep.
North Korea Says It Won’t Denuclearize Until U.S. Removes Threat
Choe Sang-Hun | New York Times
North Korea will not dismantle its nuclear weapons program until the United States also agrees to diminish its military capacity in the vicinity of the Korean Peninsula, its official news agency said on Thursday, clarifying a position that had remained vague since the leaders of both countries met in June. At that meeting, President Trump and Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea, committed to work toward the “complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.” But diverging interpretations of exactly what “complete” and “denuclearization” mean have led to a diplomatic stalemate and a breakdown in talks.
Open Scientific Collaboration May Be Helping North Korea Cheat Nuclear Sanctions
Geoff Brumfiel and Sean McMinn | NPR
For years, the world has imposed strict sanctions on North Korea in an attempt to stop its development of nuclear weapons. Officials from nations across the globe have seized shipments of raw materials, shut down shell companies and interdicted ships smuggling equipment. But despite these efforts, last year North Korea tested the most powerful weapons known to humanity: a nuclear device far larger than any it had tested before, and an intercontinental ballistic missile that put much of the world, including the U.S., within range.
U.S. Seeks to Expedite Aid for North Korea Amid Stalled Nuclear Talks
Hyonhee Shin | Reuters
U.S. officials will try to expedite humanitarian aid to North Korea, a U.S. envoy said on Wednesday, as Washington and Pyongyang struggle to find a breakthrough in stalled talks aimed at ending the North’s nuclear program. Stephen Biegun, the U.S. special representative for North Korea, made the announcement as he arrived in Seoul for four days of talks with South Korean officials. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed to work toward denuclearization at his landmark summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Singapore in June but the two sides have since made little progress.
Russia May Have Nuclear Arms in Crimea, Hacked EU Cables Warn
Daniel Boffey | Guardian
Brussels has launched an investigation into the apparent hacking of the EU’s diplomatic communications network after thousands of sensitive cables were made public, including descriptions of Donald Trump as a “bully” and Crimea as a “hot zone” where nuclear weapons may be present. The dump of confidential cables on a public site laid bare the concerns of EU diplomats and officials over the Trump administration and its dealings with Russia and China.
Russia Says it Won't Let U.S. See Missile at Heart of Nuclear Dispute
Andrew Osborn and Tom Balmforth | Reuters
Russia said on Wednesday it would not let the United States inspect a new nuclear-capable cruise missile at the heart of a dispute between Washington and Moscow that risks unraveling a landmark arms control treaty. Washington has threatened to pull out of the 1987 Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), alleging that the new Russian missile, the Novator 9M729 (called SSC-8 by NATO), violates the pact, which bans either side from stationing short and intermediate-range, land-based missiles in Europe.