TOP NEWS Senate panel approves $10M to prepare for nuclear test ‘if necessary’ The Hill Europeans push for Iran rebuke at nuclear watchdog over inspections Reuters Hong Kong, arms control on agenda of planned U.S.-China meeting Voice of America United States Senate panel approves $10M to prepare for nuclear test ‘if necessary’ The Hill6/15/20 The Senate Armed Services Committee has advanced an amendment aimed at reducing the amount of time it would take to carry out a nuclear test. OPINION: Trump is playing a reckless game with the global nuclear arsenal Los Angeles TimesRichard Clarke and Steven Andreasen 6/16/20 Trump, who has surrounded himself with a string of historically anti-arms control advisors, is systematically dismantling what he dismissively refers to as “old” agreements, with promises but no visible plans to replace them. Europe/Russia ANALYSIS: U.S.-Russian relations in 2030 Carnegie Endowment for International PeaceRichard Sokolsky, Eugene Rumer 6/15/20 U.S.-Russia relations will remain frosty for years, but even Cold Wars eventually thaw. The United States should prepare now to act decisively when this one finally does, even if it takes a decade. OPINION: The flawed logic of the French “nuclear warning” European Leadership NetworkJean-Marie Collin 6/15/20 A “nuclear warning” military option will apparently soon be on the table of future strategic dialogue with European partners. Middle East Europeans push for Iran rebuke at nuclear watchdog over inspections Reuters6/16/20 Major European powers want to admonish Iran at the U.N. nuclear watchdog over its ongoing refusal to give access to inspectors at sites suspected of activities that may have been part of a nuclear weapons program, a draft resolution showed. North Korea blows up liaison office shared with South Korea New York Times6/16/20 North Korea on Tuesday blew up a building where its officials and their South Korean counterparts had recently worked side by side, dramatically signaling its displeasure with the South after weeks of threats to end the countries’ recent détente. Russia vows to stand firm by Iran on nuclear deal Agence France-Presse6/16/20 Russia on Tuesday vowed to stand by its ally Iran and resist attempts to promote an anti-Iranian agenda amid tensions over Tehran’s nuclear program. East Asia Hong Kong, arms control on agenda of planned U.S.-China meeting Voice of America6/15/20 Top diplomats from the United States and China are planning for a closed-door meeting Wednesday in Honolulu, as anti-U.S. propaganda from China’s state-controlled media outlets intensifies, exacerbating rising tensions between the two countries. OPINION: The illusion of peace and the failure of U.S.-North Korea summitry ForbesScott Snyder 6/15/20 North Korea views the strengthening of its nuclear development to deter the U.S. nuclear threat as its main strategy for dealing with the United States.