In The News

Korea Herald: Speculations Rise Over Denuclearization Cost

Choi He-suk June 4, 2018
The cost of disabling nuclear weapons may be small compared to the costs of production, maintenance and upgrades, but that is still high. The process of disarmament could take a decade, according to Stanford University’s Center for International Security and Cooperation. Only skilled teams can oversee the process. Security along with political and economic stabilization is required to prevent...

Bloomberg: US Sanction Power Reaching Its Limit?

Ben Holland May 23, 2018
The United States withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and plans unilateral sanctions. Ben Holland of Bloomberg News identifies a pattern: the Trump administration’s increasing reliance on sanctions and disdain for diplomacy. Other major economies, especially the European Union, China and India may be weary of US demands that increase their costs. “...

Spiegel: Trump Wedge for Germany and France

Markus Becker, Christiane Hoffmann, Peter Müller, Christoph Schult and Gerald Traufetter May 21, 2018
Donald Trump is withdrawing the United States from the Iran nuclear agreement, re-imposing sanctions, and by doing so has divided Europe. The European Commission is considering a “blocking statute” to prohibit European firms from obeying US sanctions and pay out damages. “Behind the scenes, it was largely Macron applying the pressure, whereas Germany seemed to shy away from a confrontation with...

Vox: Taking Trump’s Korea Diplomacy Seriously

Matthew Yglesias May 18, 2018
Diplomacy and building good relations with other nations requires trust over the long term with policies based on firm values and principles. The Trump administration instead engages in abrupt policy shifts that puzzle allies and foes alike while leaving a trail of broken promises. Matthew Yglesias of Vox does not expect the United States and North Korea to reach a deal for ending the latter’s...

The Guardian: US Urges North Korea on “Irreversible” Steps to Denuclearization

Ed Pilkington May 7, 2018
Donald Trump’s national security advisor John Bolton expects North Korea to show “concrete and tangible evidence” on denuclearization prior to any formal easing of sanctions and political pressure on the state. With planning underway for a summit between Trump and North Korean President Kim Jong-un, Bolton confirmed that Pyongyang’s commitment to total and “irreversible” denuclearization was...

Reuters: What Could Iran Do if US Drops Nuclear Deal?

Babak Dehghanpisheh May 3, 2018
Reuters reports that US President Trump is expected to pull the United States out of the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement. The move could signal that democracies are not reliable long-term partners. Babak Dehghanpisheh lists scenarios by which Iran could make trouble for US interests in the Middle East in many ways. Iranian-supported militias fighting extremists in Iraq and Syria could target US...

Haaretz: Netanyahu Says Iran Nuclear Deal Is Based on Lies

Noa Landau May 1, 2018
With a document release, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu maintains that Iran has deceived the world about its ambitions for nuclear weapons. “Netanyahu referred to a secret Iranian nuclear project, codenamed ‘Amad, which he said had been shelved in 2003, though he said work in the field had continued,” reports Noa Landau for Haaretz. In a news conference, he claimed Iran lied about...