Top News: US-Russia nuclear talks: Washington condemns ‘no-show’ China at Vienna summit Euronews Hypersonics testing accelerates Department of Defense U.S. bombers spotted near Korean Peninsula amid heightened tensions Yonhap United States Hypersonics testing accelerates Department of Defense6/18/20 The March 19 test of a hypersonic glide body at the Pacific Missile Range Facility in Hawaii is just the start for the Defense Department, the assistant director for hypersonics in the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering said, and after ample flight testing, the department will move toward developing weapons from the concepts it’s been testing. ANALYSIS: Artificial intelligence in nuclear warfare: A perfect storm of instability? Washington Quarterly – James Johnson 6/16/20 A significant gap exists between the expectations and fears of public opinion, policymakers, and global defense communities about artificial intelligence and its actual military capabilities. East Asia U.S. bombers spotted near Korean Peninsula amid heightened tensions Yonhap6/19/20 Two U.S. strategic bombers have been spotted near the Korean Peninsula, a flight tracker said Friday, amid heightened tensions after North Korea threatened South Korea over the sending of anti-Pyongyang leaflets. North Korea vows to dump millions of leaflets and trash on the South New York Times6/22/20 “The time for retaliatory punishment is drawing near,” the North said, threatening to respond to propaganda balloons sent by anti-North Korean activists and defectors in South Korea. ANALYSIS: Nuclear anti‐proliferation policy and the Korea conundrum: Some policy proposals CATO – John Mueller 6/22/20 The United States should abandon its bid to separate North Korea from its nuclear weapons and, with South Korea in the lead, push to normalize relations with Pyongyang. U.S. “not going to allow Russia and China to continue” increasing nuclear weapons stockpile, top negotiator says CBS6/19/20 U.S. arms control talks with Russia, and perhaps China, are slated for Monday, June 22 in Vienna, just days after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo flew to Honolulu to meet with China’s top diplomat Yang Jiechi at Hickam Air Force Base. Middle East U.N. nuclear watchdog’s board raises pressure on Iran over suspect sites Reuters6/19/20 The U.N. nuclear watchdog’s 35-nation Board of Governors called on Iran on Friday to stop denying the agency access to two suspected former sites and to cooperate fully with it, diplomats attending the meeting said. Tehran rejects IAEA resolution, will retaliate TASS6/19/20 Tehran completely rejects the resolution adopted by the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) regarding the Iranian nuclear program and will take retaliatory measures, Iran’s permanent representative to international organizations in Vienna Kazem Gharib Abadi said Friday. Russia and Europe US-Russia nuclear talks: Washington condemns ‘no-show’ China at Vienna summit Euronews6/22/20 Russia and the United States have resumed talks on extending a major nuclear disarmament treaty but Washington’s insistence that China should be part of the deal may hamper dialogue. Russia’s new strategy for nuclear war Real Clear Defence6/22/20 Russia has published an official executive order (ukaz) titled ‘Basic principles of state policy of the Russian Federation on nuclear deterrence’.