When Trump Meets Kim Jong Un: A Realistic Option for Negotiating With North Korea
Toby Dalton and Ariel Levite | Foreign Affairs
After Donald Trump announced earlier this month that he would consider holding a spring summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, there has been a flurry of debate over what the president should seek from the potential meeting. On one end of the spectrum is the popular notion of denuclearizing North Korea, which usually means complete, verifiable, and irreversible dismantlement of North Korea’s nuclear capabilities, or CVID. While professing nominal commitment to this goal, it appears Kim is conditioning it on such formidable requirements that it is extremely unlikely that the regime will actually pursue this in any meaningful timeframe, no matter how hard the United States sanctions, threatens, or incentivizes them. Kim believes it would be suicidal to give up his “existential” deterrent, so complete denuclearization is simply not on the table today.
Train Believed Carrying Top North Korean Delegation Leaves Beijing
Ben Blanchard, Shu Zhang, and Christine Kim | Reuters
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was part of a secretive delegation that arrived in Beijing by train on Monday and left on Tuesday, according to a source familiar with the matter and foreign media reports. The visit, which would be Kim’s first known journey abroad since he assumed power in 2011, was not announced by North Korea or China and has remained shrouded in mystery.
THAAD Setup Still on Hold Amid Gov't Inaction
Jun Hyun-suk | Chosun Ilbo
The setup of a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense battery from the U.S. in southwestern Korea has been on hold since September last year as locals and activists block access to the site. "There's been no progress in the construction of THAAD facilities, as well as the quarters for U.S. troops," who are to operate the battery, a military spokesman told reporters Monday. Seoul and Washington agreed in September 2016 to deploy THAAD interceptor launchers at a former golf course in Seongju, North Gyeongsang Province. The U.S. Forces Korea brought two launchers last April and four more last September.
Avangard Hypersonic Missiles Replace Rubezh ICBMs in Russia's Armament Plan Through 2027
TASS
Russia’s Avangard strategic silo-based hypersonic missile complex has been included in the state armament plan through 2027 instead of Rubezh intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) as a weapon more essential to ensure the country’s defense capability, a source in the domestic defense industry told TASS on Thursday. "It was initially planned to include both the Avangard and the Rubezh in the state armament plan but it became clear later that funds would not suffice to finance both systems at a time. Therefore, the Avangard was included in the program’s final version as more essential to ensure the country’s defense capability," the source said.
U.S. Experts Say Why Trump Should Support Iran Deal
Rick Gladstone | New York Times
The Iran nuclear accord, assailed by President Trump and his revamped retinue of advisers, received a strong endorsement Monday from a bipartisan group of more than 100 national security veterans, who said the United States gains nothing by scrapping it. The group, including 50 retired military officers and at least four former American ambassadors to Israel, added its voice to a fractious debate over the accord, which Mr. Trump has called “the worst deal” ever.
John Bolton Is a National Security Threat
Colin Kahl and Jon Wolfsthal | Foreign Policy
Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster is out as Trump’s national security advisor, and former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations (and current Fox News contributor) John Bolton is in. This is no mere rotation of on-screen personalities in the latest episode of “The Trump Show.” It is a move with potentially profound implications for the direction of U.S. foreign policy. Indeed, Bolton’s ascendance increases the risk of not one but two wars—with North Korea and Iran. McMaster was no dove. But Bolton falls into an entirely different category of dangerous uber-hawk. Fifteen years ago, Bolton championed the Iraq War, and, to this day, he continues to believe the most disastrous foreign-policy decision in a generation was a good idea. Bolton’s position on Iraq was no anomaly. Shortly before the 2003 invasion, he reportedly told Israeli officials that once Saddam Hussein was deposed, it would be necessary to deal with Syria, Iran, and North Korea. He has essentially maintained this position ever since. Put plainly: For Bolton, there are few international problems where war is not the answer.