Top News A Pentagon chart misleadingly suggests the U.S. is falling behind in a nuclear arms race The Washington Post Pence raises prospect of talks with North Korea alongside ‘intensified’ pressure Reuters IAEA, EU reaffirm support for nuclear deal The Tehran Times Russian nuclear scientists arrested for ‘Bitcoin mining plot’ BBC News EAST ASIA N. Korea vows to step up nuclear posture against U.S. Yonhap News Agency2/10/18 North Korea said Saturday that it will further reinforce its nuclear deterrence against the United States in response to Washington’s renewed nuclear commitment to its allies. North Korea says sanctions are preventing it from paying its UN contributions The Independent2/11/18 North Korea’s UN Ambassador says ‘it is crystal clear’ the US is to blame Pence raises prospect of talks with North Korea alongside ‘intensified’ pressure Reuters2/11/18 Comments by U.S. Vice President Mike Pence suggest the United States may be looking more favorably at diplomatic engagement with North Korea as South Korea considers a rare summit with its neighbor and long-time foe. Pence to North Korea: ‘If you want to talk, we’ll talk’ The Hill2/11/18 Vice President Pence in a new interview published on Sunday indicated the United States would be willing to engage in talks with North Korea without preconditions as the Trump administration seeks to pressure Pyongyang to end its nuclear program. Japan urges Singapore to enforce UNSC sanctions against North Korea The Japan Times2/12/18 Foreign Minister Taro Kono urged Singaporean counterpart Vivian Balakrishnan on Monday to ensure the U.N. Security Council sanctions against North Korea are implemented to halt its missile and nuclear weapons programs. MIDDLE EAST IAEA, EU reaffirm support for nuclear deal The Tehran Times2/9/18 The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the European Union (EU) on Thursday reaffirmed their support for the Iran nuclear agreement and reviewed progress achieved in working together on a range of nuclear activities. Britain says it wants to save Iran deal, working to address U.S. concerns Reuters2/8/18 Britain said on Thursday it was working with its partners to tackle U.S. concerns over a landmark 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and major powers, but said Tehran must avoid actions that threaten regional security. EU could impose blocking regulations if U.S. pulls out of Iran deal Reuters2/8/18 The European Union could put in place regulations to protect its firms doing business in Iran if the United States withdraws from the 2015 nuclear deal and restores extraterritorial sanctions, a senior EU official said on Thursday. Head of France’s Total urged Trump to stick with Iran nuclear deal: FT Reuters2/12/18 The head of French oil major Total recently urged U.S. President Donald Trump to stick with the nuclear deal with Iran, where it has investments, according to an interview with the Financial Times. RUSSIA/FSU/EUROPE Russian nuclear scientists arrested for ‘Bitcoin mining plot’ BBC News2/9/18 Russian security officers have arrested several scientists working at a top-secret Russian nuclear warhead facility for allegedly mining crypto-currencies. Putin ally warns of arms race as Russia considers response to U.S. nuclear stance The Washington Post2/10/18 One of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s closest associates warned in an interview Wednesday that the U.S. and Russia are approaching a new arms race — the latest sign that geopolitical tensions are undermining nuclear arms control. MULTILATERAL ARMS CONTROL IAEA and EU Review Progress on Cooperation, Agree on Next Steps at Annual Meeting IAEA News Centre2/8/18 The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the European Union (EU) reviewed progress achieved in working together on a range of nuclear activities and agreed to further enhance cooperation during their sixth annual Senior Officials Meeting in Vienna. UN launches major push for nuclear disarmament talks despite US objections The Independent2/7/18 The United Nations is set to launch a major push for disarmament to include everything from nuclear weapons to cybersecurity, as it faces resistance from the US. Exclusive: U.N. chief plans major disarmament push but U.S. skeptical Reuters2/7/18 U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is to launch a major push for disarmament talks covering everything from nuclear and cyber war to small arms, braving certain U.S. resistance to such bold initiatives, officials and experts told Reuters. UN chief congratulates US, Russia on nuclear arsenal cuts, urges further disarmament UN News Centre2/5/18 United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Monday congratulated the United States and Russia on successfully reducing their strategic nuclear forces to the level required by a new bilateral treaty signed in 2010, calling on both sides to engage in the necessary dialogue that will lead to further arsenal reductions. U.S. NUCLEAR POLICY A Pentagon chart misleadingly suggests the U.S. is falling behind in a nuclear arms race The Washington Post2/12/18 A former colleague suggested that a chart published in the Trump administration’s Nuclear Posture Review (NPR) might be worthy of a fact check, saying it reminded him of exaggerations concerning Soviet military power during the Reagan administration. OPINION AND ANALYSIS Trump’s Nuclear Posture Review and China: No Way Forward? The DiplomatAnkit Panda 2/12/18 The Trump administration’s Nuclear Posture Review takes an odd approach to China. SPECIAL INTEREST Where might Trump go in a nuclear attack? BBC News2/12/18 From Truman to Trump, US presidents have had access to bunkers to ride out a nuclear war. So what happens to the commander-in-chief if a nuclear threat looms? Who Should Warn the Public of Nuclear War? NPR2/12/18 Investigators are blaming human error for the panic-inducing false missile alert in Hawaii last month. They say it was sent out by a state emergency management worker who mistook an exercise for a real attack. Only 5 Nations Can Hit Any Place on Earth With a Missile. For Now. The New York Times2/7/18 North Korea has drastically increased the range of its missiles. In tests last year, the nation showed that it could probably strike the United States.