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Trump’s move to gut South Korea alliance is ‘inane, haphazard decision’, lawmakers say
The Guardian • • world
Key Points:
- President Trump ordered the Pentagon to scale back joint military exercises with South Korea, citing his "very good relationship" with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un and framing the drills as hostile despite ongoing North Korean missile tests.
- Lawmakers criticized the decision as "inane" and "shortsighted," warning it weakens the US-South Korea alliance, undermines regional security, and risks emboldening North Korea and Russia amid the Ukraine conflict.
- Trump linked the reduction in exercises to South Korea's refusal to join US military efforts against Iran, drawing bipartisan concern over his approach to a key ally in a volatile region.
- The US-South Korea alliance, established in 1953, includes 28,500 American troops in South Korea and a mutual defense treaty, but Trump's move threatens to erode decades of military cooperation and deterrence against North Korea.
- Critics, including senators Jack Reed, Mark Kelly, and Andy Kim, emphasize that the joint drills are essential for crisis readiness and that Trump's decision could send a message that US commitments are negotiable, potentially benefiting adversaries like Russia.
