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One abiding principle of the American empire is that peace never be given a chance to break out.
US Imposes More Sanctions On North Korea Despite Diplomatic "Breakthrough"
6 March, 2018
Barely 12 hours after a "breakthrough" report that North Korean leaders might be willing to shut down their nuclear program and surrender their existing nukes in exchange for assurances that the regime's safety would be guaranteed, the State Department announced that it would impose yet another round of economic sanctions on the North - its second batch of sanctions within the span of two weeks, per Reuters.
JUST IN: U.S. State Department says U.S. has determined that North Korean government used chemical warfare agent VX to assassinate half-brother of Kim Jong Un in Malaysia in 2017
"The United States determined under the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act of 1991 (CBW Act) that the Government of North Korea used the chemical warfare agent VX to assassinate Kim Jong Nam, in the Kuala Lumpur airport," Nauert said on Tuesday. These sanctions are in addition to the existing sanctions against targeting unlawful North Korean activities. The sanctions took effect upon this determination in the federal register on March 5, 2018. The United State sstrongly condemns the use of chemical weapons in carrying out assassinations. This public display of contempt against universal norms of chemical weapons use further demonstrates the reckless nature of North Korea and underscores that we cannot tolerate a North Korean WMD program."
Pyongyang
has repeatedly denied allegations that it was involved in the murder.
Two of the assassins were caught by Malaysian police and convicted.
When asked about the reports of a possible breakthrough in US-North
Korea relations, President Trump sounded noncommital, repeatedly
responding '"we'll see what happens."
Meanwhile,
Vice President Mike Pence released a statement saying the US wouldn't
back down from its demands that the Korean peninsula be
denuclearized.
Whichever direction talks with North Korea go, we will be firm in our resolve. The United States and our allies remain committed to applying maximum pressure on the Kim regime to end their nuclear program. All options are on the table and our posture toward the regime will not change until we see credible, verifiable, and concrete steps toward denuclearization.
Breakthrough: North Korea Ready To Denuclearize "If Regime Safety Is Guaranteed"
6
March, 2018
Score
another diplomatic victory for Trump, whose hard line negotiating
tactic appears to have generated a dramatic - and favorable for
market - outcome. Moments ago futures spiked, 10Y yields jumped and
the USDJPY bounced about 106 on what the FT dubbed a "diplomatic
breakthrough" that North and South Korea have agreed to hold
direct talks between their leaders with North
Korea signalling it is willing to abandon its nuclear program "if
regime security can be guaranteed."
- NKOREA OPEN TO DENUCLEARIZE IF REGIME SAFETY GUARANTEED: SKOREA
The
headlines come from South Korean National Security Office special
envoy Chung Eui-yong, who is speaking to reporters in Seoul after
returning from Pyongyang. Remember he and another envoy, National
Intelligence Service chief Suh Hoon met North Korean leader Kim Jong
Un in Pyongyang on Monday. Chung confirms that North Korea is indeed
ready to stop the jawboning and negotiate:
- Kim Jong Un open to frank talks with U.S. for denuclearization: Chung
- North Korea to suspend provocations during talks: Chung
- Promises not to use any weapons against South Korea: Chung
Next
step: a summit in April between the two neighbors where details will
be ironed out: "North Korea, South Korea agree to hold summit
in April", Chung says. Pyongyang vowed not to test any
ballistic missiles or make further provocations during talks,
according Chung clarified.
The
easing of tensions between the two Koreas and this clearly positive
geopolitical development has triggered a broad based risk-on
move. Fixed
income is selling off sharply here, with Bunds flying. As the spot
KRW market is closed, the NDF space is in focus. The 1m NDF has
traded from 1076.0 to 1070.8 at time of print. USDJPY is spiking
higher at 106.10 at print. This move may have legs especially as
early NY begins to come in
I personally think the line that this is a foreign policy ‘win’ for Trump (he never wanted diplomacy) is a load of bollocks. I would put it down to an agreement between the North and the South.
BREAKING: North and South Korea to hold summit, talks of ‘denuclearization’ on the tableThe summit between the two Korea’s will take place in the village of Panmunjom in April, just south of the border between the two Koreas, according to the Yonhap news agency.
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