SKorea, US defense chiefs reaffirm commitment to defend against NKorea
November 15, 2019, 10:10 am

SKorea, US defense chiefs reaffirm commitment to defend against NKorea

Men look towards North Korea’s village Kaepoong at the Unification Observation Platform, near the demilitarized zone (DMZ) which separates the two Koreas. (File photo Reuters)

The defense chiefs of South Korea and the United States reaffirmed on Friday US commitment for the defense of South Korea against North Korea and efforts to denuclearize the North, the South’s Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo said.

Jeong said he and US Defense Secretary Mark Esper shared the view that a cost-sharing pact for US troops stationed in South Korea, which is now being negotiated, should be fair and mutually agreeable.

Esper said on Friday it is crucial the United States and South Korea reach an agreement on cost sharing for US troops in the South by the end of the year with a higher burden to be shared by Seoul.

South Korea is a wealthy country and could and should pay more for the deployment of US military in the South, Esper told a briefing after meeting the South Korean Defense Minister.

source:Reuters

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Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.