Nuclear Policy News – July 9, 2018

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North Korea says talks with Pompeo ‘regrettable’: report
The Hill

After Pyongyang put-down, Pompeo stands by ‘difficult’ denuclearization talks
Reuters

North Korea Criticizes ‘Gangster-Like’ U.S. Attitude After Talks With Mike Pompeo
The New York Times

Israel presented U.S. with “red lines” for Saudi nuclear deal
Axios

EAST ASIA

North Korea Reminds Trump Its Nuclear Weapons Won’t Come Cheap
Bloomberg7/8/18
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo went to Pyongyang to get Kim Jong Un to give up his nuclear weapons. He left with a harsh reminder that the North Korean leader expects something in return.

North Korean Denuclearization Talks Uncertain After Pompeo Visit
Wall Street Journal7/8/18
Pyongyang accuses U.S. of ‘gangster-like tactics’ but says it maintains trust in Trump

Mike Pompeo dismisses North Korea’s ‘gangster’ comments, says talks are going well
CNN7/8/18
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo dismissed North Korea’s accusation of a “gangster-like mindset” in denuclearization talks, saying the two nations had productive conversations that will continue in the days ahead.

Mike Pompeo downplays North Korea’s ‘gangster’ comment, cites progress on nukes
USA Today7/8/18
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sunday brushed aside North Korea’s accusation of “gangster-like” denuclearization demands. Pompeo maintained that his third visit to the country had produced results but also vowed that sanctions would remain until Pyongyang follows through on North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s pledge to get rid of his atomic weapons.

North Korea says talks with Pompeo ‘regrettable’: report
The Hill7/7/18
North Korea is reportedly criticizing talks with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, calling the two days of meetings that ended Saturday “regrettable.”

After Pyongyang put-down, Pompeo stands by ‘difficult’ denuclearization talks
Reuters7/7/18
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo brushed off North Korean charges that he used “gangster-like” diplomacy in negotiations in Pyongyang, saying on Sunday after meeting his Japanese and South Korean counterparts that he would keep pursuing denuclearization talks with North Korea.

North Korea Criticizes ‘Gangster-Like’ U.S. Attitude After Talks With Mike Pompeo
The New York Times7/7/18
North Korea accused the Trump administration on Saturday of pushing a “unilateral and gangster-like demand for denuclearization” and called it “deeply regrettable,” hours after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said his two days of talks in the North Korean capital were “productive.”

Update On North Korea Nuclear Talks
NPR7/8/18
Officials in the U.S. and North Korea continue to offer contradicting reports on whether their recent meeting in Pyongyang was productive.

MIDDLE EAST

Israel presented U.S. with “red lines” for Saudi nuclear deal
Axios7/8/18
Israel has presented the Trump administration with its “red lines” for the nuclear deal the United States is currently negotiating with Saudi Arabia to build reactors in the kingdom.

RUSSIA/FSU/EUROPE

China looking to buy stake in UK nuclear plants, say reports
The Guardian7/8/18
The Chinese government has emerged as a potential buyer of a multibillion-pound stake in Britain’s nuclear power plants.

MULTILATERAL ARMS CONTROL

Treaty prohibiting nuclear weapons marks first anniversary, but still lacks sufficient numbers to become law
UN News7/7/18
On Saturday, Secretary-General António Guterres welcomed the first anniversary of the adoption of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, previously calling it an “essential pillar” of international peace and security, and the “heart” of the nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime.

U.S. NUCLEAR POLICY

They came here to build the bomb; 75 years later Los Alamos still holds secrets
Los Angeles Times7/8/18
When J. Robert Oppenheimer invited top scientists, engineers and technicians to New Mexico in 1943 to build the world’s first nuclear weapon, no one really knew what the results would be.

OPINION AND ANALYSIS

North Korea’s New Ballistic Missile Submarine Proves One Thing
The National InterestDave Majumdar
7/8/18
The sub is not state of the art. However, it serves as a reminder that North Korea might not be the pushover that some might imagine it to be.

Would Trump accept North Korea as a nuclear power?
The HillHarry J. Kazianis
7/8/18
With North Korea — at least for the moment — unwilling to commit to a plan to give up its nuclear weapons, would the Trump administration ever consider a more radical approach?

Pompeo, in Tokyo, denies U.S. stance is softening on North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs
The Japan TimesReiji Yoshida
7/9/18
In Tokyo following his latest visit to Pyongyang, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo denies that Washington has softened its stance against North Korea.

North Korea ‘gangster’ line is a big problem for Trump
CNNSamantha Vinograd
7/9/18
Your allies and your enemies are keeping tabs on your summit scorecard. Below, find an assessment of how your Singapore summit will impact meetings this month and why a summer of successive summits may yield mixed results.

Reducing Japan’s plutonium stock
The Japan TimesEditorial
7/7/18
The government’s Basic Energy Plan, updated last week after its first review in four years, features a pledge to reduce the nation’s stockpile of plutonium extracted from spent nuclear fuel.

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