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Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) summed up the criticisms of Trump’s cost-saving argument: “The money we spend training with our allies is money well spent. It’s not a burden onto the American taxpayer to have a forward deployed force in South Korea. It brings stability. It’s a warning to China that you can’t just take over the whole region.”
There’s no doubt that the military exercises are expensive. The Air Force told CNBC that a B-2 bomber costs $130,000 an hour to operate, while the B-1 costs $95,000 an hour. Leaving those planes in the hangar would probably save some money, but it’s not at all clear if those savings would register anywhere in the Pentagon’s roughly $700 billion annual budget — a budget that Trump has repeatedly boasted about increasing. The planes would still be flown on a regular basis, the Navy would still conduct regular patrols in the region, and the tens of thousands of U.S. troops in South Korea and Japan would remain in place. All come with an extraordinary cost that is likely to continue, regardless of the status of the exercises.
Many geopolitical experts have questioned the cost argument altogether, saying that exercises are intended to maintain readiness among the tens of thousands of U.S. and South Korean troops stationed in the country who — despite Trump’s claim Wednesday that “There is no longer a Nuclear Threat from North Korea” — sit across the border from a dictatorship with one of the world’s largest militaries, armed with an arsenal of up to 60 nuclear weapons.
But Mr. Trump’s statement that he was suspending joint military exercises with South Korea stunned many South Koreans. The annual exercises have been an integral part of the alliance with the United States that forms the bulwark of South Korea’s defenses against the North.
Mr. Trump’s pronouncement raised fears that Washington was making concessions before North Korea had actually dismantled its nuclear weapons.
The South Korean Defense Ministry issued a curt statement saying that it was trying to determine Mr. Trump’s intentions.
Around the same time, Mr. Trump had an idea about how to counter the nuclear threat posed by North Korea, which he got after speaking to Russian President Vladimir Putin: If the U.S. stopped joint military exercises with the South Koreans, it could help moderate Kim Jong Un’s behavior
Lavrov, who is also visiting Vietnam this week, said in comments carried by Russian news agencies on Monday that Russia believes that the U.S. ought to offer Pyongyang “security guarantees” for the disarmament deal to succeed. He also mentioned that “the U.S. is even asking our advice, our views on this or that scenario of” how the summit in Hanoi could pan out.
Additionally, Lavrov just happens to be traveling to Hanoi at the exact same time as Trump and Kim. I’m sure it’s all a giant coincidence.
Why does Russia pop up in everything Trump does
originally posted by: leemachino
Your title states “everything Trump does” but only talk of North Korea. Russia shares a boarder with North Korea. Of course they want to be involved along with China and Japan.
Who can verify it was Putin’s idea? That’s a claim off an assumption you made from the article. It states “Mr Trump had an idea”.
I don’t see stopping war exercises in that region during talks, a bad thing. It’s easier to talk peace when you’re not pointing guns at each other. Maybe it’ll work, maybe he will get played like the previous administrations who have tried.
Maybe he’s gets NK tonooen uo a bit more to the world. The people of NK could see that there is an amazing world out there and provide the change needed from within.
I’m an optimist.
reply to: BlackJackal
Why does Russia pop up in everything Trump does?
originally posted by: olaru12
a reply to: BlackJackal
Trump and the Russians have a long history. I don't think it's unusual that the FBI has been looking into trumps association with them even before he decided to run for the presidency. And now Cohen is spilling the beans about the money laundering.
newrepublic.com...
www.politico.com...
originally posted by: strongfp
a reply to: BlackJackal
Trump, delegates, he goes around and talks to various people for opinions and then just simply says "ok I'll do that" or "you go do that for me". And takes credit.
It's probably one of the main reasons why he's filed for bankruptcy so many times because he relies on others to make decisions for him. Just recently he didn't even understand what memorandums of understanding meant, and, became the laughing stock of the room. Evidence he is literally relying on his advisers and people who negotiate deals are clearly doing the work for him.
originally posted by: xuenchen
a reply to: JBurns
"Cohen" has always been a deep-cover Democrat operative (blackmailed) 😎