Counteroffensive Portion of the UFS Military Exercise Canceled as Trump Pursues Talks with Kim Jong-un this Year
This makes me wonder if Trump is trying to get a deal with Kim Jong-un this year in order to get a foreign policy victory before the November mid-term elections?:
South Korea and the United States have agreed to halve the duration of the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise at Washington’s request, Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff announced Wednesday.
The allies decided to end this year’s UFS exercise on Friday, shortening the drill to Aug. 17-21 from the originally planned Aug. 17-27 schedule, according to the JCS.
The exercise kicked off Monday as initially planned.
This is the first time a major combined exercise has been abruptly adjusted after getting underway. (…..)
UFS is typically conducted in two phases, with the first focused on defending South Korea against a simulated attack and the second on counteroffensive operations.
“The second phase, which focuses on counteroffensive operations, will not be conducted under the shortened schedule,” a military official in Seoul said. (……)
The reduction comes as Trump seeks to revive diplomacy with Pyongyang. Trump has suggested that Kim has responded to his overtures, although he has not disclosed details of any exchanges.
Trump is also seeking a face-to-face meeting with Kim this year, according to reports, with a possible encounter around the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen, China, in November.
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