Pentagon says it is 'actively working on executing' Trump's directive on S. Korea-US drills
WASHINGTON — A Pentagon official said Monday that the U.S. Defense Department is "actively" working on executing U.S. President Donald Trump's directive on South Korea-U.S. military exercises, a day after Trump said he has ordered the Pentagon to "substantially" reduce the allies' drills. In a social media post, Trump said he has instructed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to scale back the joint…
A Pentagon spokesperson announced on Monday that the U.S. Department of Defense is actively working to carry out President Donald Trump's directive regarding South Korea-US military drills, following the President's announcement the previous day. Trump had directed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to substantially reduce the joint exercises, which were interpreted as an attempt to ease tensions with North Korea, as the two nations initiated their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) drills in South Korea.
The Department of Defense affirmed in an updated statement that they were actively working on executing the Commander-in-Chief's directive. Hours before the updated statement was released, the Pentagon had stated that no changes would be made to the Ulchi Freedom Shield, directing inquiries about Trump's comments or the broader scope of his policy to the White House. This updated information prompted speculation that the allied drills might be reduced, despite concerns that such a move could be met with resistance.
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