U.S. President Donald Trump
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he will pull the country out of a nuclear arms agreement with Russia.
The deal being referred to is the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, ratified in 1987 by the U.S. and the then-Soviet Union, which eliminated all nuclear missiles and launchers with a range of 310 - 3,420 miles (500 - 5,500 kilometers).
Trump spoke to reporters after a campaign rally in Nevada, and said that "Russia has violated the agreement."
"We’re going to terminate the agreement and we’re going to pull out," Trump added.
Trump's remarks come as National Security Adviser John Bolton prepares to travel to Moscow early next week to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The pact has made it difficult for the U.S. to develop new weapons to combat China's attempt to impose nuclear dominance over the Western Pacific region.
China is not a part of the agreement, and therefore is not restricted in the development of nuclear missiles.
The president went further to criticize former President Barack Obama for staying in the agreement, noting that Russia has been developing weapons that had been banned as part of the deal.
Trump did not give a timeline as to when the U.S. would officially remove themselves from the INF.
The next summit meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is likely to happen early next year, a senior administration official said on Friday.The two sides have been engaged in talks on the leaders' second meeting after the first, unprecedented, one in Singapore in June."A meeting is likely sometime after the first of the year," the U.S. official told a small group of reporters.U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Friday he hopes to meet his North Korean counterpart soon to lay the groundwork for a "big step forward" on denuclearization during the next summit.Pompeo, in an interview with Voice of America on a trip to Mexico City, said Kim told him two weeks ago he was committed to the promises he had made to Trump during their first summit."I'm very hopeful we'll have senior leader meetings here in the next week and a half or so between myself and my counterpart to continue this discussion so that when the two of them get together there is real opportunity to make another big step forward on denuclearization," he told VOA.Pompeo met North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho at the United Nations General Assembly in New York in September.Russian charged with conspiring to interfere in US congressional electionsAsian football 'architect' Velappan diesUS, China, others tentatively agree to multilateral air encounter codeA State Department spokeswoman declined to clarify if Pompeo meant he would meet his counterpart in Washington, saying she had no meetings to announce.The Rodong Sinmun, North Korea's official party newspaper, said the United States should not take an approach with "two faces" as Washington touts progress in denuclearization talks while keeping sanctions in place."We do not want good will and generosity of the U.S. but urge it to act with the elementary give-and-take principle," the Rodong Sinmun said in a commentary on Saturday.The United States and South Korea on Friday said they had suspended upcoming joint air defense drills in a bid to ensure diplomatic efforts with North Korea continue.The two Koreas have held three summits this year. Two top Trump aides get into heated exchange outside Oval OfficeTrump says he believes Khashoggi is deadUS general doesn't believe he was target of Kandahar attack
Next summit for Trump, N.Korea's Kim likely after first of year: senior US official
Six days after Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi disappeared, U.S. President Donald Trump tried to play down the crisis, saying "hopefully that will sort itself out".It did not, and on Oct. 10, amid a growing outcry, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and national security adviser John Bolton pressed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, in what one U.S. official described as a "stern" phone call, to identify who was responsible for Khashoggi's disappearance or death.Trump then seemed to give Saudi Arabia the benefit of the doubt, suggesting "rogue killers" may have been to blame and criticizing a growing view that this was a case of state murder.He changed his tone once again late this week, raising the prospect of sanctions against Riyadh.Trump: Congress to be involved in Khashoggi responseBut when Saudi Arabia finally admitted on Saturday that Khashoggi was dead, saying he was killed in a fight inside the consulate, Trump said the official explanation was "credible" even as Republican and Democratic lawmakers responded with anger and disbelief.Over the last two weeks, Trump has at times spoken of punishing Saudi Arabia but appeared reluctant to follow through against a close economic and security ally in the Middle East, a key player in ensuring the stability of global oil markets, and a major customer of arms deals that he says are "tremendous"."Trump's dug himself into a hole," said Aaron David Miller, a former Middle East adviser to both Democratic and Republican administrations. "He will have to take some kind of action."Behind the scenes, though, Trump's aides scrambled to craft a response, especially as the bipartisan outcry in the Washington establishment grew.Saudi prince behind Khashoggi murder: Ex-MI6 chiefWhen news of Khashoggi's disappearance first broke, aides made clear to White House chief of staff John Kelly that the case was not going away, two senior White House officials said.Kushner, who had cultivated a close personal relationship with the crown prince, commonly known as MbS, urged Trump to act with caution to avoid upsetting a critical strategic and economic relationship, a senior administration official said.Kushner was heavily involved in making Saudi Arabia Trump's first stop on his maiden international trip as president last year.As grim allegations emerged from Turkey about Khashoggi’s death and the Saudis stuck to their denials, Trump felt pressure from congressional Democrats and some of his own Republicans.US 'saddened' over confirmed death of Saudi journalistU.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican close to Trump, accused MbS of ordering Khashoggi's murder and called him a "wrecking ball" jeopardizing relations with the United States.When Riyadh came out with its official version of what happened inside the consulate, Graham quickly tweeted he was "skeptical of the new Saudi narrative".'NOT A U.S. CITIZEN'Trump sought to justify his muted response by pointing out the incident occurred in Turkey and that Khashoggi, a U.S. resident and columnist for the Washington Post, was "not a United States citizen".Critics accused Trump of trying to give the Saudis diplomatic cover and buy time for them to get their story straight, something Trump's aides denied.UN chief ‘deeply troubled’ by Khashoggi’s deathAt the same time, Peter Navarro, Trump’s White House trade chief and architect of his “Buy American” policy to ease restrictions on foreign arms sales, was stressing the importance of Saudi weapons deals and the implications for U.S. jobs, another administration official told Reuters.Trump repeatedly touted the $110 billion in weapons deals he announced during his visit to Saudi Arabia last year, and insisted around 500,000 U.S. jobs were at stake. Experts have dismissed the sales and jobs numbers as highly exaggerated.Some Trump aides raised doubts about the veracity of the Turkish government’s leaks of what it says happened to Khashoggi.But as the days dragged on and evidence of Khashoggi’s death mounted, Trump's view began to shift, White House officials said.Saudi Arabia sacks top officials over Khashoggi deathHe ordered Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to drop what he was doing and fly to Riyadh for talks at mid-week, and was then briefed by him at the White House on Thursday.Critics slammed Pompeo for appearing to hold court in a festive manner with MbS, undercutting the severity of the U.S. message.But one senior White House official countered, saying Pompeo told the Saudi royals that “you need to give us some legitimate information soon, people aren’t just going to let it drag on.'”Speaking to reporters during a trip to Arizona on Friday, Trump said he was ready to “listen to what Congress has to say” about actions to be taken in the Khashoggi case, yet also made clear he wanted to continue to protect defense contracts, and U.S. jobs dependent on them.Congress has already triggered a mechanism for the U.S. Treasury Department to consider human rights sanctions against Saudi Arabia and some lawmakers have vowed to block further arms sales to Riyadh, a move that Trump is likely to oppose.Saudi Arabia says Khashoggi died at Istanbul consulate
Trump a reluctant critic of Saudi Arabia despite pressure to act
U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that Congress "will be very much involved" in formulating the U.S. response to the case of missing Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi.Trump told reporters in Arizona that lawmakers "indirectly and directly" will influence the U.S. response after he earlier warned against calls from some in Congress to suspend arms sales to Saudi Arabia."I'm gonna have very much Congress involved in determining what to do," he said. "I will very much listen to what Congress has to say."Khashoggi was last seen entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2. He has not been seen or heard from since.His case has prompted a terse response from Democrats and Republicans alike who are weighing imposing harsh penalties on the Kingdom if it is determined to have killed Khashoggi, a U.S. resident who moved to Virginia.The bipartisan furor has been stoked by media reports alleging grisly details of his demise at the hands of a team reportedly sent at the direction of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler.Saudi consulate employees in Istanbul give testimony at prosecutor's officeAs Khashoggi crisis grows, Saudi king asserts authority, checks son's powerAirbus Defence and Space chief to skip Saudi investment conferenceSaudi Arabia has denied involvement.Lawmakers from both chambers, meanwhile, have openly discussed imposing sanctions on Riyadh, a close U.S. ally in the Middle East, as well as an end to support for Riyadh's air campaign in Yemen and a possible end to arms sales to the Kingdom valued at $110 billion.Trump continued to voice opposition to the arms embargo, saying Saudi Arabia buys $450 billion worth of U.S. goods supporting at least 600,000 American jobs. It was not immediately clear what accounts for the additional $340 billion."I will in this case make certain recommendations," Trump said. "It would be very hurtful to this country if we said, 'oh, we're not going to sell it to you.' So there are other things we can do," he said."I will very much listen to what Congress has to say. They feel very strongly about it also," he added.Should Congress seek to end arms sales over the president's objections, Trump could veto the move if it passes, but he would risk an override by a two-thirds majority of lawmakers in each chamber -- a scenario more likely if Democrats take either chamber in November's midterm elections. Republicans currently control the Senate and the House.Of the possible U.S. responses, Trump said sanctions "could be" one of the consequences.As Khashoggi crisis grows, Saudi king asserts authority, checks son's powerUK academic calls for Saudi sanctions in Khashoggi caseSaudi may blame adviser for Khashoggi killing: report
Trump: Congress to be involved in Khashoggi response
U.S. President Donald Trump hailed as a "great first step" Friday Saudi Arabia's explanation for the fate of a missing Saudi journalist. Congress, however, was less enthusiastic.Trump told reporters he thinks Saudi Arabia's explanation that Jamal Khashoggi died after a brawl inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul is credible, adding he does not think he has been lied to during conversations with Saudi Arabia's senior leaders."I think we're getting close to solving a very big problem," Trump said.Saudi prince behind Khashoggi murder: Ex-MI6 chiefSaudi Arabia, the president said, "has been a great ally in the Middle East. We need them as a counterbalance to Iran, and so it's not the simplest solution. It's not the simplest situation to be in".Preliminary investigations by the Saudi Public Prosecution Office into Khashoggi’s disappearance said he had gotten into a “quarrel and brawl” with people he met while in the consulate which led to his death, the state-run Saudi Press Agency said in a statement.Eighteen Saudi citizens have been arrested over links to Khashoggi’s death, according to the news agency.US 'saddened' over confirmed death of Saudi journalistThose having such links will be held accountable and brought to justice, it added.While Trump offered measured optimism about Riyadh's explanation, Capitol Hill was far less satisfied."To say that I am skeptical of the new Saudi narrative about Mr. Khashoggi is an understatement," Republican Senator Lindsay Graham said in a statement posted to Twitter. "It’s hard to find this latest 'explanation' as credible."UN chief ‘deeply troubled’ by Khashoggi’s deathGraham has been one of the fiercest critics of Saudi Arabia on the Hill amid Khashoggi's disappearance and has warned he would pursue sanctions against the Kingdom while calling for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman -- who reports allege is responsible for a plot to kill Khashoggi -- to step down.Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal echoed Graham, saying on the microblogging site that Riyadh's "actions explanations continue to defy credibility common sense"."No way should the world wait 30 days for a Saudi whitewash or cover up. U.S. must call for an international investigation that holds accountable all responsible—not just Crown Prince's fall guys."In the House, Representative Ro Khanna -- a long-time opponent of U.S. military support to Riyadh's bombing campaign in Yemen -- said Washington's $110 billion arms sale to Riyadh "should be cancelled immediately"."Our foreign policy needs to be oriented toward human rights, not making huge profits for defense contractors," he said.Trump has continued to balk at suggestions that the U.S. halt arms sales to Riyadh, saying earlier Friday that doing so "would be very hurtful to this country" and adding after the Saudi explanation was made public he "would prefer we don't use as retribution cancelling $110 billion worth of work"."The last thing I want to say is 'we're not gonna supply you with that,'" Trump said. "I'd rather find another solution."Should Congress seek to end arms sales over the president's objections, Trump could veto the move if it passes, but he would risk an override by a two-thirds majority of lawmakers in each chamber -- a scenario more likely if Democrats take either chamber in November's midterm elections. Republicans currently control the Senate and the House.Also reacting to Riyadh's announcement, outgoing Republican Senator Bob Corker said Saudi Arabia's explanation for what happened to Khashoggi "continues to change with each passing day, so we should not assume their latest story holds water"."They can undergo their own investigation, but the U.S. administration must make its own independent, credible determination of responsibility for Khashoggi’s murder under the Global Magnitsky investigation as required by law," he added in a separate tweet.He was referring to an investigation he triggered earlier this month along with three other senators into Khashoggi's disappearance under a U.S. law intended to hold human rights abusers to account.In a letter to Trump, the minority and majority leaders of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the leaders of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee responsible for the State Department called on Trump to determine whether imposing sanctions "with respect to any foreign person responsible for such a violation related to Mr. Khashoggi" is warranted.
Trump keen, Congress unswayed by Khashoggi explanation