Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- June 4, 2018

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has shuffled his senior military staff. Photo: Reuters/KCNA

Jim Michaels, USA Today: Kim Jong Un's firing of top military leaders could mean armed forces not happy about N. Korea denuclearization

Kim Jong Un’s overhaul of his top military leadership a week before a planned summit with President Trump may be a sign that the North Korean leader is worried about opposition from the country’s powerful armed forces as he heads into the talks, some analysts said Monday.

All three of North Korea’s top military officials have been replaced, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported Sunday, citing an unnamed intelligence official.

“He’s probably got fairly broad pushback from his military,” said Bruce Bennett, an analyst at RAND Corp. “He is still facing some real threats.”

The level of those threats could have a direct impact on the summit scheduled for June 12 in Singapore and raise questions about how independent Kim can be in negotiating with Trump.

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Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- June 4, 2018

Ahead of US summit, North Korea fires military leadership -- Andrew Salmon, Asia Times

The Threat to Kim Jong Un Within North Korea -- Uri Friedman, The Atlantic

Lavrov's North Korea visit a reminder to Trump that Russia cannot be ignored -- Chris Stevenson, The Independent

Is China Attempting to Torpedo the Kim-Trump Summit? -- Doug Bandow, National Interest

Can Xi Jinping build a ‘Great Firewall’ against tariffs? -- William Pesek, Asia Times

Why Trump’s Tariffs May Push Europe Toward China and Russia -- Erik Brattberg, National Interest

If this is a trade war, the United States will win -- Daniel McCarthy, Spectator

Why India is ignoring US sanctions and sticking with Iran -- Pepe Escobar, Asia Times

Trump’s EU doormats -- Serge Halimi, Le Monde diplomatique

Analysis: Qatar crisis widens fissures among US allies -- Jon Gambrell, AP

On migrants & Moscow, Italy’s new foreign policy makes waves -- Nicole Winfield, AP

Italy’s right to make the wrong choice -- John Lloyd, Reuters

Putin’s Fourth Term: New Faces—Old Politics -- Alexander Lukin, National Interest

Can Trump pardon himself? Not if he’s impeached -- Anne Flaherty, AP

What We Know About Facebook’s Latest Data Scandal -- Alexis C. Madrigal, The Atlantic