Once a major annual source of tensions on the Korean Peninsula, the large joint US-South Korea spring military exercises Foal Eagle and Key Resolve are to be canceled, according to officials familiar with the situation.
These huge exercises were pared back and even put on hold to try to
protect diplomatic progress and not do anything provocative. That seems
to still be the case, and a formal announcement of their cancellation is
expected in the next few days.
With Pentagon officials likely to complain that these are necessary for
“readiness,” it is likely that some smaller, less provocative exercises
will be announced instead. Details of that, however, have not been
announced.
Trump is keen on such moves, complaining of the cost of the exercises.
In recent comments to reporters, Trump said “I was telling the generals,
I said: Look, you know, exercising is fun
and it’s nice and they play the war games. And I’m not saying it’s not
necessary, because at some levels it is, but at other levels it’s not.”
US, South Korea to Cancel Large Spring Military Exercises
Officials expect to focus on much smaller exercises
Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.
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