Top News Moon’s Push to Ease North Korea Sanctions Falls Flat Wall Street Journal John Bolton Plans to Tell Russia That U.S. Is Keeping North Korea Sanctions Bloomberg Nothing About Trashing the INF Treaty Makes the US Safer Defense One East Asia U.S., South Korea suspend joint military exercise because of North Korea talks Washington Post10/19/2018 The United States and South Korea suspended a high-profile air-power exercise scheduled for December, the fourth such military training operation the two allies have canceled as a result of nuclear disarmament talks with North Korea. Moon’s Push to Ease North Korea Sanctions Falls Flat Wall Street Journal10/19/2018 South Korea’s president’s attempt to rally European support for loosening sanctions on North Korea appeared to fall flat this week, and risked putting him further at odds with the Trump administration’s efforts to maintain pressure on Pyongyang. Russia/FSU/Europe Russia nuclear treaty: Bolton in Moscow amid missile tensions BBC News10/22/2018 US national security adviser John Bolton is in Moscow for talks after Russia gave a frosty reception to news the US was dropping a nuclear treaty. South Asia Pakistan Blasts India Over Purchase of Russian Air Defense System Voice of America10/19/2018 Pakistan has criticized and downplayed rival India’s acquisition of the Russian-made S-400 Triumph air defense system, claiming Islamabad can counter the threat. Multilateral Arms Control Multilateral Arms Control John Bolton Plans to Tell Russia That U.S. Is Keeping North Korea Sanctions Bloomberg10/19/2018 U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton will tell Russian officials in Moscow that crippling economic sanctions must be maintained against North Korea until its regime abandons its nuclear weapons, according to a senior administration official. U.S. To Pull Out Of International Arms Control Agreement NPR10/21/2018 President Trump says he will pull the U.S. out of a 1987 arms control treaty with Russia. It was a treaty signed by President Reagan designed to reduce the dangers of nuclear war. Gorbachev Calls Trump’s Nuclear Treaty Withdrawal ‘Not the Work of a Great Mind’ New York Times10/21/2018 President Trump’s announcement that the United States would withdraw from a nuclear disarmament treaty with Russia drew sharp criticism Sunday from one of the men who signed it, Mikhail S. Gorbachev, who called the decision reckless and not the work of “a great mind.” Opinion and Analysis Nothing About Trashing the INF Treaty Makes the US Safer Defense OneMichael Krepon 10/21/2018 From the strategic and diplomatic realms to the budgetary and tactical levels, Trump’s decision makes no sense. Trump was right to pull out of arms treaty, but not because of Russia CNNJohn Lee 10/22/2018 US President Donald Trump blamed repeated Russian violations of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty to justify his announcement over the weekend that the United States will soon withdraw from the bilateral agreement which has been in place since 1987. Special Interest This is exactly how a nuclear war would kill you Vox10/19/2018 This is how the world ends — not with a bang, but with a lot of really big bombs.