Trump Tries Old Move to Woo a More Powerful Kim Jong Un
North Korea’s military is a significantly more powerful threat to the U.S. and its allies than it was when Trump suspended the drills in 2018.
President Donald Trump ordered reductions to annual military exercises with South Korea on Sunday, aiming to advance talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Trump's move, reminiscent of his first term, comes as North Korea's military has grown more powerful due to enhanced capabilities from Russian and Chinese support. North Korea has expanded its nuclear arsenal, increased missile production, and gained battlefield experience through its involvement in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Despite these gains, Kim has largely rejected Trump's diplomatic overtures since he returned to the White House. Meanwhile, the U.S. has redirected missile interceptors and other assets from South Korea to the Middle East due to the ongoing Iran war, and a key U.S. aircraft carrier has been deployed there. The U.S. has urged allies in Asia to shoulder a greater security burden.
Military officials and advisers worry that the reduced drills could weaken deterrence against China and North Korea, while failing to assure allies of U.S. credibility.
Written by urgent.news from Hindustan Times - World News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
