With a Piece of Paper, Trump Called on Kim to Hand Over Nuclear Weapons
Lesley Wroughton and David Brunnstrom | Reuters
On the day that their talks in Hanoi collapsed last month, U.S. President Donald Trump handed North Korean leader Kim Jong Un a piece of paper that included a blunt call for the transfer of Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons and bomb fuel to the United States, according to the document seen by Reuters. Trump gave Kim both Korean and English-language versions of the U.S. position at Hanoi’s Metropole hotel on Feb. 28, according to a source familiar with the discussions, speaking on condition of anonymity. It was the first time that Trump himself had explicitly defined what he meant by denuclearization directly to Kim, the source said. A lunch between the two leaders was canceled the same day. While neither side has presented a complete account of why the summit collapsed, the document may help explain it.
‘A Terrible Thing’: India’s Destruction of Satellite Threatens ISS, Says NASA
Michael Safi and Hannah Devlin | Guardian
India’s destruction of one of its satellites has been labelled a “terrible thing” by the head of Nasa, who said the missile test created 400 pieces of orbital debris and posed a threat to astronauts onboard the International Space Station (ISS). Jim Bridenstine was addressing employees five days after India shot down a low-orbiting satellite in a missile launch that it says elevated the country to the elite tier of space powers. The satellite shattered into pieces, many of which are dangerously large but too small to track, Bridenstine said. “What we are tracking right now, objects big enough to track – we’re talking about 10cm (six inches) or bigger – about 60 pieces have been tracked.”
Exclusive: India Conducted a Failed Anti-Satellite Test in February 2019
Ankit Panda | Diplomat
India’s Defense Research and Development Organization carried out a failed first attempt to destroy a satellite in low-earth orbit on February 12, The Diplomat has learned. The test took place from Abdul Kalam Island off the eastern coast of India. According to U.S. government sources with knowledge of military intelligence assessments, the United States observed a failed Indian anti-satellite intercept test attempt in February. The solid-fueled interceptor missile used during that test “failed after about 30 seconds of flight,” one source told The Diplomat. That test is believed to have been India’s first-ever attempt at using a direct-ascent, hit-to-kill interceptor to destroy a satellite—a feat that was completed successfully on March 27, when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a successful test in a national address. The first Indian anti-satellite test was dubbed “Mission Shakti.”
Nuclear Arms Control Without a Treaty? Risks and Options After New START
Vince Manzo | Center for Naval Analyses
This report explores risks and US policy options for a specific scenario: The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) expires with no follow-on treaty in tow. We identify the key risks and uncertainties the United States and Russia would face after New START and develop a portfolio of policy options for mitigating them. We also identify the impact US-Russian nuclear dynamics after New START may have on China’s nuclear policy and posture, and then explore potential policy options for the US-China relationship. By exploring the risks of a world without a treaty, as well as the value and limitations of arms control options outside of a treaty framework, this report also provides a frame of reference as the United States and Russia prepare for the near-term decision on New START extension and the longer-term decision on how to approach its eventual expiration.
Arms Control Without Arms to Control?
Ulrich Kuhn | European Leadership Network
In a recent article published by the European Leadership Network, scholars Sico van der Meer and Michal Onderco argued “it [was] important to realise that the INF Treaty’s collapse is not only a risk, but may also be an opportunity. [That] Europe should not simply carry America’s water; it should use the situation to become a stand-alone actor.” Doing so, they suggest, “offers a chance for the EU to show it is able to act independently of the US in arms control.” So, can Europeans act independently in arms control with Russia, without America? Unsurprisingly, I suggest the answer is no – but not for the reasons put forward by the authors.
China to Fall Short of 2020 Nuclear Capacity Target
David Stanway | Reuters
China will fall short of its nuclear power generation capacity target for 2020, according to a forecast from the China Electricity Council on Tuesday. Total nuclear capacity is expected to reach 53 gigawatts (GW) next year, below a target of 58 GW, council vice chairman Wei Shaofeng told the China Nuclear Energy Sustainable Development Forum in Beijing. China is the world’s third-biggest nuclear power producer by capacity, with 45.9 GW installed by end-2018 and 11 units still under construction, but its reactor building program has stalled since the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan. No new approvals have been granted for the past three years, amid spiraling costs, delays for key projects and safety concerns about new technologies.