Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- May 24, 2018

Andrew Salmon, Asia Times: Trump Cancels Summit with North Korea’s Kim

Bombshell announcement follows North Korean rhetorical attacks, but US move could alienate allies and hand North Korea the moral high ground.

In a shock, last-minute move, US President Donald Trump cancelled his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, scheduled for June 12 in Singapore.

The summit, which would have been the first-ever meeting between a North Korean and a US head of state, had won plaudits from those who believed it offered the chance of a breakthrough in long-tense relations between the two countries. However, many experts had been concerned that neither party would play by the book, and the summit’s failure could generate even higher tensions. Some Korea watchers had even predicted it would never take place.

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Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- May 24, 2018

The North Korea Summit is Dead -- National Interest

Five takeaways on the canceled Trump summit with Kim -- Rebecca Kheel, The Hill

Analysis: Has Trump blown chances for talks with NKorea? -- AP

Korean peninsula at the crosshairs of great power rivalry -- Arshad Mohammed, Reuters

Despite scrapped summit, door still open between US, North Korea -- AFP

Abe expresses hope for peace treaty progress as he departs for summit with Putin -- Daisuke Kikuchi, Japan Times

Beijing’s Threats Against Taiwan Are Deadly Serious -- Derek Grossman, Foreign Policy

I just visited Iran. Here’s what I heard about the U.S. -- Peter Van Buren, Reuters

Iraqi voters undermine Trump’s Iran strategy -- M.K. Bhadrakumar, Asia Times

Can Iraq's Sadr swing nonsectarian government? -- Ali Mamouri, Al-Monitor

Where will ISIS strike next in the Philippines? -- Bong S Sarmiento, Asia Times

Eritrea: 25 years of independence but still not free -- Daniel Pelz, DW

Is Italy's government on a collision course with the EU? -- Jon Henley, The Guardian

Alberta, the one-issue province. (Yes, that issue starts with a P and ends in -ipeline) -- Jason Markusoff, Macleans

Why Venezuela Can’t Be Like Colombia -- Allison Fedirka, Geopolitical Futures

The U.S. Can Save Venezuela From Anarchy -- James Stavridis, Bloomberg