Allies stress cooperation as Trump slashes Korean drills
US President Donald Trump has ordered a reduction in military drills with South Korea, citing his diplomatic ties with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Japan and Australia have expressed concern, emphasizing the necessity of trilateral security cooperation for regional stability.
Why it matters
Changes in US military posture in the Pacific directly impact regional security dynamics and the nuclear non-proliferation efforts regarding North Korea.
Japan has said security cooperation with the United States and South Korea was "critical" for the region's stability, after US President Donald Trump scaled back military drills with Seoul while hailing his ties with North Korea.
Mr Trump abruptly announced on Sunday that he had ordered the Pentagon to scale back "inappropriate and hostile" military drills with South Korea.
The following day he insisted he was making the situation "much safer" through his ties with the North's leader Kim Jong-un, whom he met three times in his first term but has yet to encounter since his return to the White House.
While praising the leader of nuclear-armed North Korea, he rebuked key ally Seoul for failing to help Washington fight Iran - a war Mr Trump said is aimed at stopping Tehran from getting an atomic bomb.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in