TOP NEWS Kim-Xi meeting presents a new challenge for Trump on North Korea Washington Post North Korea Is Firing Up a Reactor. That Could Upset Trump’s Talks With Kim. New York Times National security veterans urge Trump not to scrap Iran nuclear deal CNN US general warns of hypersonic weapons threat from Russia and China CNN EAST ASIA Kim-Xi meeting presents a new challenge for Trump on North Korea Washington Post3/28/18 A secretive meeting between North Korea’s Kim Jong Un and China’s Xi Jinping this week showcased enduring bonds between the two countries, highlighting the diplomatic challenge facing President Trump. Bulletproof, Slow and Full of Wine: Kim Jong-un’s Mystery Train New York Times3/27/18 The mysterious train that pulled into Beijing’s central train station on Monday night is now known to have been carrying Kim Jong-un, North Korea’s leader, who arrived in the capital for secret talks with his Chinese counterpart. North Korea Is Firing Up a Reactor. That Could Upset Trump’s Talks With Kim. New York Times3/27/18 If President Trump actually meets Kim Jong-un in the next few months — an encounter that many American officials still doubt will come to pass — his challenge will be much larger than merely persuading North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons. Differing views of ‘denuclearization’ complicate North Korea talks Reuters3/28/18 “Denuclearization” is a word dominating the headlines as U.S. President Donald Trump leads an effort to pressure North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program. Kim Jong-un Met With Xi Jinping in Secret Beijing Visit New York Times3/27/18 North Korea’s enigmatic young leader, Kim Jong-un, made an unannounced visit to Beijing, meeting with President Xi Jinping weeks before planned summit meetings with American and South Korean leaders, Chinese and North Korean state news media reported on Wednesday. Trump Secures Trade Deal With South Korea Ahead of Nuclear Talks New York Times3/27/18 President Trump scored his first significant trade deal this week, securing a pact with South Korea that represents the type of one-on-one agreement that Mr. Trump says makes the best sense for American companies and workers. Trump is ‘determined’ to ‘go to war with North Korea’ in conflict that could kill ‘millions,’ says leading Democrat Newsweek3/27/18 Representative Joaquin Castro, a top Democrat on the Foreign Affairs Committee, said Tuesday that he believes President Donald Trump is determined to launch a war with North Korea. MIDDLE EAST National security veterans urge Trump not to scrap Iran nuclear deal CNN3/27/18 A bipartisan group of more than 100 US national security experts — including nearly 50 retired military officers and more than 30 former ambassadors — is urging President Donald Trump to remain in the Iran nuclear deal as sources say it is becoming increasingly likely he will withdraw. John Kerry warns against leaving the Iran deal Washington Post3/27/18 Former secretary of state John Kerry warned Tuesday that if the United States withdraws from the Iran nuclear deal, it will take decades to re-negotiate another set of limitations on Tehran’s nuclear program RUSSIA/FSU/EUROPE Russia will test new weapons and missile force to show they are ready to attack Newsweek3/27/18 Russia was set to put its missile force to the test in a series of maneuvers that would see thousands of troops mobilized and some of its new and most advanced weapons put on display. SOUTH ASIA What National Security Advisor John Bolton Means for India The Diplomat3/27/18 Bolton’s stance on Pakistan won’t bother India, but his approach to Iran is deeply concerning. U.S. NUCLEAR POLICY US general warns of hypersonic weapons threat from Russia and China CNN3/27/18 In a series of unusually candid remarks, the US general in charge of the nation’s nuclear arsenal has issued a stark warning that Russia and China are “aggressively” developing new high-speed, or hypersonic, weapons that the US currently has no defense against. OPINION AND ANALYSIS Waning nuclear deterrence in South Asia Bulletin of the Atomic ScientistsTahir Nazir 3/27/18 Disappointment regarding India-Pakistan relations is partly a result of the misplaced and overstated expectations that commentators attach to technological capability, forgetting the naked reality—in situations like these, it is not the gun, but the man behind the gun, that matters. Will the US’ new nuclear policies spark an arms race with China? South China Morning PostWill Saetren 3/28/18 China has thus far maintained a restrained approach to nuclear weapons – seeing them as ‘paper tigers’, more for show than use. The new US nuclear posture review, however, specifically threatens Beijing and may cause it to strengthen deterrence in return Bad History Makes for Flawed Policy 38NorthLeon V. Sigal 3/27/18 Instead of basing the approach to the summit on a gross misreading of the past, President Trump would do better to test whether or not Kim means what he says now. The Strategic Wisdom of Accommodating North Korea’s Nuclear Status The Diplomat3/28/18 What if Washington came to terms with a nuclear North Korea but remained on the peninsula? SPECIAL INTEREST How to Spot a Nuclear Bomb Program? Look for Ghostly Particles New York Times3/27/18 Someday, wispy subatomic particles known as antineutrinos could provide a clear view of what countries with illicit nuclear weapons programs are trying to hide.