Top News Trump Cites ‘Great Progress’ in North Korea Nuclear Talks The New York Times Trump releases ‘nice note’ from Kim Jong Un praising progress despite setbacks in denuclearization talks The Washington Post Trump says ‘ultimate deal’ with Putin would be world without nuclear weapons Reuters Moon presses Trump, Kim for breakthrough in nuclear talks ABC News EAST ASIA Trump Cites ‘Great Progress’ in North Korea Nuclear Talks The New York Times7/12/18 President Trump said Thursday that he was making “great progress” in denuclearization talks with North Korea, citing what he called a “very nice note” he received last week from Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader, though it made no mention of nuclear weapons. Trump releases ‘nice note’ from Kim Jong Un praising progress despite setbacks in denuclearization talks The Washington Post7/12/18 President Trump on Thursday released a personal letter from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un praising the “epochal progress” since their summit in Singapore last month, despite recent setbacks that have cast doubt on denuclearization talks. Moon presses Trump, Kim for breakthrough in nuclear talks ABC News7/13/18 South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Friday urged U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to try harder to achieve a breakthrough in their nuclear negotiations. South Korea’s Moon Jae-in Calls on Washington and Pyongyang to Step Up Denuclearization Efforts TIME7/13/18 South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Friday urged Washington and Pyongyang to move forward on an agreement to denuclearize the Korean peninsula even as a lack of action and critical remarks made by the North have stirred fears that negotiations have reached an impasse. RUSSIA/FSU/EUROPE Trump says ‘ultimate deal’ with Putin would be world without nuclear weapons Reuters7/12/18 U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday said the best agreement he could have with Russian President Vladimir Putin would be one where there would be no nuclear weapons in the world. Trump to Talk to Putin About Substantially Reducing Nuclear Weapons U.S. News & World Report7/13/18 U.S. President Donald Trump will discuss substantial reductions to nuclear weapons when he meets Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki on Monday. Trump: ‘Ultimate deal’ with Putin would be ‘no more nuclear weapons’ The Hill7/12/18 President Trump on Thursday said the ultimate deal he could reach with Russian President Vladimir Putin would center around the end of nuclear weapons programs worldwide. Trump is likely to ask Putin for help with his North Korea problem CNBC7/13/18 Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump are sure to discuss North Korea at next week’s bilateral summit as the American leader looks to tap Moscow’s strategic leverage over the isolated state. What Do Trump and Putin Want at the Helsinki Summit? Wall Street Journal7/13/18 President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet in Helsinki on July 16. For Putin, Helsinki talks with Trump a win before he even sits down Reuters7/11/18 For U.S. President Donald Trump, a summit with Vladimir Putin risks a political backlash at home and abroad. For the Russian president, however, the fact the summit is even happening is already a big geopolitical win. OPINION AND ANALYSIS Trump-Putin summit an essential step to reducing nuclear danger The HillErnest Moniz and Sam Nunn 7/13/18 The “Trump hurricane” hit Brussels this week. There is a place for frank exchanges and even public pressure with friends and allies. But the President’s public castigating of Germany as being “totally controlled by Russia” is inappropriate treatment of a valued ally. Nor is it likely to generate the necessary cooperation and trust from key allies and NATO to reengage with Russia in our collective duty to reduce nuclear dangers. What’s Missing From Kim Jong Un’s ‘Very Nice Note’ to Trump The AtlanticUri Friedman 7/12/18 Donald Trump called it “a very nice note.” And it is super-nice! In the letter that the president published on Twitter on Thursday, Kim Jong Un refers to Trump as “Your Excellency” and writes glowingly of the “meaningful journey” he and the U.S. president have embarked on since last month’s summit in Singapore. Don’t Let Trump Go to War With Iran The AtlanticTim Kaine 7/13/18 Fifteen years after the U.S. entered Iraq, the president is inching us closer to another unnecessary fight. Brothers in Arms? Foreign AffairsKimberly Marten and Olga Oliker 7/13/18 Why Trump Should Push Putin to Revive Arms Control