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Home / North Korea / How Trump’s Kim Jong Un Move Could Lead to Nuclear Breakthrough
North Korea, Asia

August 18, 2026

How Trump’s Kim Jong Un Move Could Lead to Nuclear Breakthrough

Jennifer Kavanagh, director of military analysis at Defense Priorities, a think tank, described Trump’s announcement as “both a necessary and strategically wise one aligned with U.S. interests.”

Kavanagh, from Defense Priorities, said in a statement to Newsweek that there is little evidence drills with South Korea deter aggression by North Korea and China and help with regional stability, “in fact, they seem to work in the other direction.”

“Far from being deterred, China and North Korea often respond by accelerating their military buildups and expanding their regional military activities, including with their own military exercises or test launches of new weapons,” Kavanagh added.

Read at Newsweek

Featuring

Jennifer
Kavanagh

Senior Fellow & Director of Military Analysis

Defense Priorities

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