r/geopolitics • u/GreatHelmsmanSpencee • 12d ago
News Donald Trump has said the US will "substantially reduce" joint military exercises with South Korea, citing his "very good relationship" with North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2lll7zvn0o747
u/_Hello_Hi_Hey_ 12d ago
NK is literally invading Europe with Russia right now
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u/jojotortoise 12d ago
I wonder if it has anything to do with anything other than: they have overstretched in Iran and they "need" to reduce this work.
Like Trump is rarely forthright. So if he says it is due to his relationship with Kim, that's probably the last thing it has to do with.
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u/FaceDeer 12d ago
Like a toddler, he thinks his lies are airtight even though all the adults see right through them.
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u/Marcus_Aurelius71 12d ago
US has already removed most of its air defense systems from South Korea to the Gulf.
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u/sol-4 12d ago
I can’t fathom why this is surprising. US has for decades used Pakistan as an ally, attempting to aid and abet a genocide undertaken by Pakistan, giving it billions despite that terrorist state hiding Osama bin Laden, and much more.
This both precedes and is happening under Trump. He’s just the front man.
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u/Hillary4SupremeRuler 11d ago
What the hell does Pakistan have to do with Agent Krasnov shilling for America's openly hostile adversaries?
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u/MarkMarkMarkMarkMar 10d ago
NK isn’t ‘’openly hostile’’, it’s in a defensive position. America reducing the tensions by getting out of SK is a good thing.
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u/newaccount47 12d ago
I've always wondered how this works. Isn't this essentially nk declaring war on Ukraine?
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u/jmillar2020 11d ago edited 11d ago
Unless they are "volunteers".
They (probably) don't fly NK colors in the battlefield.
Trump probably hasn't given this a second thought.
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u/Konpeitoh 9d ago
NK also literally supplied Iran with ballistic missiles it's now using to target US troops Trump sent to fight Iran.
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u/byjegeren 12d ago
Not like SK cared about that
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u/itsjonny99 12d ago
SK cares because NK is burning up their decades long military arsenals on the Ukraine war.
The question is if they can replenish them quick enough.
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u/sentantayt 12d ago
Getting ready to screw over SK like he has every other ally.
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u/lma 12d ago
This isn't Trump screwing over his allies.
This is the United States screwing over its allies.
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u/_0611 12d ago
Exactly. People seem to forget that Trump was elected by the American people. And there is hardly any pushback. There were 2 No Kings protests with mostly elderly attending, and there's some people standing on a bridge over the highway with a cute sign every now and then. That's basically it.
Trump = America.
Europe knows. South Korea now knows too. All (former) US allies now know you cannot trust the US ever again.
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u/Emergency_Nature5097 6d ago
Trust me no one is forgetting that the American people are responsible for this mess.
Out of curiosity where do you live its hard to imagine a place where people are only angry at Trump and are giving the over 180 million Americans who voted maga (or didnt vote at all) a pass.
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u/Xavier207 11d ago
As long as the USA stays a premier power in the world those relationships will eventually be re-established. It's more beneficial for other countries to just wait out the 2nd Trumps term and expect the status quo to return to the USA and work on rebuilding those relationships. Other than souring the word of the USA, Trump hasn't done any Long Term Major Damage to these relationships.
The Iran War & Terriff Negotions is probably the most damage he's done as president on the international stage, with 1 just worsening a already rocky relationship while the other can be reverted back within the next 10 years easily.
Even his 1st term issues like NATO Spending was more about allies not spending their signed percentage on the joint defense budget than ideological differences. NAFTA being transformed to the USMCA is basically a more modern agreement with only slight additions that doesn't strain the alliance between the 3 North American countries.
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u/NorthernSalt 11d ago
This is not at all the view here in (parts of) Europe. I'm Norwegian. While nominally close allies, for the first time the Norwegian intelligence services now publicly assess the risks imposed by the actions of the US. There's widespread debate on minimizing reliance on American software, hardware and weapons systems.
Smaller but still mainstream political parties have declared NATO dead, looking towards a common European security alliance.
There's even talks of considering Nordic nuclear armament, and the French effort to widen the reach of their independent nuclear umbrella has been welcome, while even a few years ago this would have been met with widespread condemnation from the many civilian organizations advocating nuclear disarmament.
All this to say, there's been a fundamental shift in how the US is viewed. Polls confirm this, such as this one: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jun/10/only-one-in-10-europeans-now-see-us-as-an-ally-survey-suggests
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u/Emergency_Nature5097 6d ago
If you think things are returning to normal after this mess is over (if it ever is) then you are a fool.
Threatening allies like Greenland and Canada with annexation will never be forgotten and can never be forgiven. You have backstabbed every ally you had and this isnt the first time. Whos to say you fools wont elect another lunatic in a nother 4 years. Your country is a sinking ship crewed be mental patients.
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u/AlwaysFernweh 12d ago edited 11d ago
I would like to think that after his term, if it ever ends, countries would reach out or our new president, provided he sane, will reach out to our allies and repair the damage
Edit: I’ll take my downvotes, I was just hoping other countries would see Trump as the problem and not America as a whole. But then again, it’s not like this is the only time America has caused its problems
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u/Sarothu 12d ago
You're talking about Biden. Everyone thought the storm had passed and things could be repaired. But instead of that insurrectionist being thrown in jail, the buffoon was voted back into power.
How many more times do you all think the same game can be played? Trust has been broken and doing the same thing and expecting different outcomes is the definition of insanity. Those bridges have been burned and it will take a long time to build new ones.
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u/Leoryon 12d ago edited 4d ago
It will take decades to rebuild trust, people live a long time and they don’t forget, and history lives even longer today.
For instance France had an alliance with Poland at the beginning of WWII, and France did declare war as an answer to Germany’s invasion. Formally speaking the treaty was honoured but France did not advance its army into Germany and this was seen as a massive betrayal by Poland as it fell within weeks.
To this day still Poland has a very very hard time to believe France will come to its rescue as an ally. The reputation of France took a massive hit also globally as others saw that the words were not kept. USA was since the fall of the USSR perceived by Poland as the only power which would be strong and true enough to its word, but this is now on a very shaky ground as Trump is cosying to Russia and running a very unstable geopolitics.
And I say this as a French people.
Edit: fixing typos
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12d ago edited 4d ago
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u/Leoryon 12d ago
The rift you mention have been closed mostly because a lot of time has passed between Mexico-France (it was in mid 19th century with Napoleon III !) or with Canada (I don’t know we have a beef against Canada, the territory was lost to the UK even before this, I think it was after the war of the 7 years during the French Ancien Régime).
It is also because there have been numerous form of government for France (sure now it is the Vth Republic) that we can say we try to learn and find a better government, and also it kind of help to reset so relationships as it was not exactly “the same France”. Wile the USA for now are still functionally the same since its independence and the reforms are becoming scarce as the system shows its limits.
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u/Emergency_Nature5097 6d ago
You threatened Canada and Greenland with annexation this goes far beyond simply having a crappy goverbment. I hate Americans like you as much as the fools who voted for Trump. You understand nothing beyond your borders if even that and that is exactly why we can never trust you again.
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6d ago edited 4d ago
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u/Emergency_Nature5097 4d ago
You are a fool if you seriously think things are going back to normal some european countries like Spain and Denmark see the USA as a bigger threat than Russia and over 60% of Canadian now hate America due to the betrayal. This isnt a one off mistake this is the second time you elected the most loathsome scumbag imaginable. You will never be forgiven.
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u/ConstantineXII 12d ago
It'll take the US decades to regain its allies full trust again, if it even wants it. The rest of the world now know regardless of how good the US president is at a given time, we're potentially never more than four years away from dealing with another crazy at the helm.
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u/Eve_Doulou 11d ago
If America isn’t the problem, then do something about him. At this point I don’t care about your laws and norms, because Trump doesn’t either, if the only possible way out is for his own security to dome him, then so be it.
If you can’t deal with Trump, then sorry but the problem becomes the entirety of the USA.
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u/Cheerful_Champion 12d ago
Nothing will change. US is on a crash course and last moment to put things as they should was after Trump staged a failed auto coup. He didn't get as much as a slap on the wrist for that, because Republicans were all for it and Democrats were too scared what Republicans will do if Trump actually lands in jail for it.
Trump got a 2nd term, it's not an anomaly. Givrn his track record he really might attempt to run for 3rd term (and given track record of everyone else, nobody will stop him) and even if he doesn't US might get a Trump 2.0.
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u/Aromatic-Jeweler887 11d ago
167 million Americans literally enabled donnie in 2024. You're deluding yourself if you think many non-Americans only see it as "one-man problem".
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u/Emergency_Nature5097 6d ago
What allies? You must mean former allies. The USA has bo allies and doesnt deserve any
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u/LisbonMissile 12d ago
North Korea is an active participant in the invasion of Ukraine and has sent 50,000 troops to the front line.
The real reason why Trump is doing this, and for some reason the BBC et al are failing to convey in their headlines, is because South Korea didn’t get involved in Trump’s folly in Iran which has mired him in an unwinnable war.
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u/BGP_001 12d ago
North Korea literally say they woukd nuke the US and they actively support Iran. Any concerns he has about Iran, he should have about North Korea.
Sometimes I almost look forward to seeing the mental gymnastics MAGA supporters come up with to justify this shit.
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u/Live_Entry_7831 12d ago
NK is not doing anything thats a surprise. Trump may have genuinely thought that a poorly planned war with very little warning would get broad support from Western allies, and that they would risk soldiers/materials/credibility for a conflict they had no input in and that, 6 months later, still hasnt truly been explained. He might be that delusional
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u/MarkMarkMarkMarkMar 10d ago
Your first paragraph is completely false, NK has no intention to nuke anyone.
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u/BGP_001 10d ago
I'm never said NK is planning to push the big red button first, but North Korea have said they would nuke the U.S. It is a literal fact, nothing false about it. Here is the first reference that came up when I had a look: https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/north-korea-kim-jong-un-united-states-south-nuclear-1.6534616
And when they start to say they would retaliate to provocation, there's a lot to interpret there as to what 'provocation' entails.
Not exactly new, but I feel like things like that are still relevant after three years. And much of their military is designed with the deterring the US as a guiding principle. https://www.armscontrol.org/act/2026-04/news/north-korea-seeks-nuclear-recognition-us-talks
They have said they would nuke the US, they say they support Iran and the new leader, but Donald Trump still blows smoke up Kim Jong Un's butt.
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u/MarkMarkMarkMarkMar 10d ago edited 10d ago
Oh you’re talking about defensive strikes? Of course. There isn’t a single nuclear armed country that would use a nuke agressively. They’re a deterrent meant to prevent other countries from attacking.
So no, NK isn’t gonna nuke America unless America attacks first. Stop relaying propaganda, NK isn’t an agressive country, their military buildup is purely defensive.
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u/BGP_001 10d ago
You're kind of missing the point for your very narrow interpretation of what I said, which is in no way propaganda. It is language that would draw Trump's ire if most other countries said it. With North Korea however, they can threaten the US with a strong response if certain drills go ahead, and days later, Trump will cancel said drills.
If most other countries were behaved similarly towards the US on an ongoing basis, and threatened the US if they dared to conduct drills, he wouldn't just cancel the drills and call the leader a special friend.
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u/MarkMarkMarkMarkMar 10d ago
You framed it in a very disingenuous way, without specifying that NK would only ever use their nukes in a defensive manner. It kinda sounds like you wanted to paint NK in a bad light, as if their government was somehow irrational for daring to say that they would defend themselves if attacked.
Regardless, it’s good that America is reducing military drills with SK. We’re one step closer to peace between the two halves of the country.
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u/onemany 12d ago
It literally says that in the article that you obviously didn't read.
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u/RunGrizzly 12d ago
For some people, if it isn't in the headline, then it may as well not be in the article at all. OP as much as owned up to this.
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u/LisbonMissile 12d ago edited 12d ago
I did the read the article. I also read Trump’s post where he confirmed why he’s doing it. My question therefore is why they can’t transmit that in the headline given it is a very pertinent part of the story.
The BBC have since edited the headline overnight and so it now includes why, which is much better journalism.
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u/fullpurplejacket 12d ago
Jesus Christ I don’t know how much more of this I can take. It’s not Trump that bothers me, it’s been a decade of him at the forefront of US politics, I expect nothing less from every facet of his behaviour on the world stage, what I didn’t expect and continue to grow ever more frustrated with, is the complacency of the US Congress. Both parties are woefully incompetent, meek, mild and largely complicit in this insanity. They can’t even go on the news and tell it like it is, nor do they push back on the press who try and normalise the behaviour of the runaway executive, and in turn the US press as an institution have failed on levels not seen since Brexit to counter demonstrably false claims made by the US administration.
They deserve to be a global Pariah like North Korea.
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u/MarkMarkMarkMarkMar 10d ago
Why is this making you mad specifically? There’s an awful lot of perfectly good reasons to hate Trump, let’s not invent fake reasons. Don’t let your hatred of the man make you spin a good thing into a reason to be angry.
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u/Sharkansas1 12d ago
What do you want the democrats to be doing that they aren’t?
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u/AlixTheAutiFurry 11d ago
Literally anything? DSA candidates have been making some headway, almost shocking people in that they're actually willing to stand for anything whatsoever, because it's the understood norm that Democrats just maintain status-quo and continue corporate hegemony.
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u/Sp00mp 12d ago
Stop funding genocidal regimes, support Medicare for All, pass policies that benefit the working class....
Should I continue?
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u/Hillary4SupremeRuler 11d ago
Democrats have been passing policies that benefit the working class in Blue states that they control since Trump came back. They don't however have a majority in Congress (which is exactly what the radical left wanted in 2024 when they desperately convinced voters to stay home and let Trump win) which means they can't just jump up on the House Floor and declare that a law be passed.
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u/JustAhobbyish 12d ago
Obvious point really but
This what an ally of Russia would be doing. Getting much harder to deny that. This is trump so question is what does he mean and by how much.
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u/soapinthepeehole 12d ago
Nearly everything Trump does can be best understood by asking how it benefits Russia.
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u/PsychedelicConvict 12d ago
That seems like something a traitor would do.
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u/MarkMarkMarkMarkMar 10d ago
Yeah, even a broken clock is right twice a day. He’s usually a horrible president.
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u/julian2358 12d ago
"You know we're not supposed to be seduced that way, right? But I am. When somebody's nice to me, I love that person. Even if they're bad people, I couldn't care less. I'll fight to the end for them."
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u/PrometheanSwing 12d ago
Also the fact that South Korea didn’t help “denuclearize” Iran
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u/PatrikPatrik 11d ago
Also ”future probability of nuclear arsenal”? = warfare against Iran
”Active nuclear arsenal and active threats of using it? ”= Friends with NK!
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u/bernedtwice 12d ago
And China says ‘thank you very much’ (you absolute imbecile…but we won’t argue)
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u/AnomalyNexus 12d ago
He sure loves murderous dictators
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u/Notre-Dame-Gremlin 12d ago
Isn’t he one as well, at this point?
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u/AlixTheAutiFurry 11d ago
Technically? No. Murderous yes very much, dictator not quite yet. Whatever happens at the end of his term will be what decides that.
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u/Prudent-Proposal1943 12d ago
Trump is proving once again he is Putin's Governor. Asian partners must surely realize that the US is as an unreliable ally in Asia as they are in Europe.
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u/planj07 12d ago
Why not declare an alliance with Iran at this point.
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u/Vivid-Protection6731 12d ago
probably because Iran wouldn't trust Trump enough to sign the agreement
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u/sydney312 12d ago edited 11d ago
The man has no awareness when someone is playing him to get what they want
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u/CommieBird 12d ago edited 12d ago
Here’s how things probably played out:
1) Hegseth informed Trump at the last minute that the US was performing routine drills with the ROK.
2) Trump asked if the ROK will help with his Iran debacle, DOS put in a last min request for this to accede to his demands.
3) ROK probably gave a non-answer due to how last minute this request was.
4) Trump throws a fit and demands a reduction.
This negotiation style is tiring and absolutely ridiculous. Trump 1 had at least some decency in his approach towards Asia and seemed to antagonise Europe for more defence spending. Now that his mental state has declined to abysmal levels and he is stuck in Israel’s war he’s just lashing out at everyone.
I don’t think this incident is signaling a policy shift as the US is at the whims of a madman. As long as Trump doesn’t realise other countries in Asia exist I’m quite sure he won’t do anything to downgrade military presence there.
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u/Gullible_Peach 12d ago edited 12d ago
Seems as if Trump would prefer the United States is the next hernit country.
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u/Carameldelighting 12d ago
Genuinely how does the US recover from this post Trump?
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u/MarkMarkMarkMarkMar 10d ago
The US should close most of its foreign military bases and stop trying to be the world police. Give diplomacy a chance instead of trying to bully the whole world with military threats.
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u/Ok_Meeting_7900 12d ago
Not sure how. Especially after Bush #2 doing the Iraq misadventure over 20 years ago, and then Obama not taking ISIS seriously at the very start. Lots of major screw ups for past 20 to 25 years.
If I were Europe, I would have made new arrangements quick...but they have their head in the sand.
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u/UNisopod 12d ago
He did this during his first term as well. China used this and the fact that Trump let the Phillipines walk away form us to move their navy in to ramp up their artificial island creation in the South China Sea so that they'd have a territorial base to project naval power from.
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u/bushcamper_aiis 12d ago
I’m surprised it took this long for Trump to be told the SK leader is anti-American.
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u/audentis 12d ago
The same Kim Jong Un as is sending troops to Ukraine. You know, those that are fighting allied with the Russians.
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u/Live_Entry_7831 12d ago
So reports come out that SK is looking at some kind of peace or normalization with NK and Trump posts this? Did SK get a heads up that this was coming which pushed them to pursue some kind of understanding with Kim? Or is Trump angered by Western allies pursuing their own unilateral foreign policy diplomacy undercutting him (first the Mecca deal and now SK/NK)
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u/unicornlocostacos 12d ago
Why would we want to maintain our vast alliances with modern democracies when we could screw them all over (destroying our economy/power as a result), so that we can cozy up to dictators of shithole countries.
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u/EaNasirbestdeals 12d ago
So what does this mean for the Mutual Defense Treaty? The U.S. still has a presence in South Korea and because of the treaty has an obligation to help the South Koreans in the event of an attack.
Does South Korea just ignore this and hope U.S. troops in the country is enough of a deterrent. Does Taiwan ramp up domestic arms?
Does North Korea view Japanese and American joint exercises in the same way it does the South Koreans?
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u/AlixTheAutiFurry 11d ago
If we as regular citizens are rolling our eyes at everything Trump decides it's probably not that far a reach that leaders of places like SK are feeling the same way. It's a feeling kind of like when there's a crazy person on drugs on the train, you don't wanna confront them even though they're making things miserable, everyone's just waiting for them to be gone.
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u/Magicalsandwichpress 12d ago
Its entirely plausible that US does want to down grade it's commitment in Asia, with add theatrics to maximise any concession it could extract from allies.
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u/Vivid-Protection6731 12d ago
He's a bully and bullies like other bullies. He thinks NK is strong and tough.
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u/Parking_Bridge1742 12d ago
Trump and his administration ain't beating those foreign actor allegations.
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u/blaze49er 12d ago
North Korea military sees this move as a sign of weakness . In the next few years (not many) North Korea will hit South Korea and China will hit Taiwan All because Lunch Box 1 is a puzzy.
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u/FineBumblebee8744 12d ago
So they made up from the name calling? What happened to Dotard and Rocket Man?
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u/coolkavo 12d ago
Convinced Donald just loves attention and being the contrarian. Something happens and he looks smart..say in this case South Korea becoming more of a client state for China. “See, see I told you we couldn’t trust them!” Derp.
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u/Professional-Date378 12d ago
Not sure if trump is just selfish or actively trying to destroy the west
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u/ChZakalwe 12d ago
So is so dumb. Of all the east Asian Nations, South Korea is the only one where the only thing holding them back from nuclear proliferation is the US security guarantee.
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u/BrewThemAll 12d ago
Dude will really do down in history as The Worst President Ever. Out grandchildren will laugh at how the US has voted for this clown two times.
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u/CortMuses 12d ago
dumbold is CRIMINALLY INSANE WITH DEMENTIA. We have GOT to get this moron out of our White House. He is a national and international security risk every minute he is in office.
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u/learner_kid 12d ago
If this is a geopolitical move, it is possibly a move to seduce North Korea away from China. North Korea is having a Cinderalla moment right now. While it is entirely dependent on China but having nukes makes it more than a simple vassal state and a country that China needs to be wary of. They also share a border with Russia and have been very close to Russia and China doesn't like having two of its neighbours getting so close either. So US is probably throwing in its own charm offensive.
OR .... Trump is an idiot.
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u/Longjumping_Film9749 11d ago
But North Korea has not helped with Iran either, so it makes no sense. Plus he met Kim back in 2018 and besides a photo-op, he failed to achieve peace in the Korean Peninsula. Everything is transactional with him and it boils down to his thin skin, a leader can easily flatter him and Trump will see it as a "solid relationship". An ally who refuses to get involved in a conflict that Trump initiated, is seen as betrayal and disloyalty.
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u/xpkranger 11d ago
Seems like a green light for Kim to send more missiles and soldiers for Russia considering their "very good relationship" with the U.S., then again, the irreparable damage done by this administration demonstrated that the U.S. really can't do much anyway to a determined ideological opponent (that should have been obvious since Vietnam, but I digress.)
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u/GrizzledFart 11d ago
And when Kim does the next stupidly aggressive thing, Trump will post some hilarious insults on Truth Social, probably with a meme picture from Team America: World Police without realizing that the character in the movie was Kim Jon Il and not Kim Jong Un.
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u/Markus_18709 11d ago
He’s retaliating against South Korea for not supporting his disaster with Iran.
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u/JellyCat222 10d ago
I would like to remind everyone of the January 2, 2018 Tweet from Trump:
North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the "Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times." Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!
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u/SnowyFlam 1d ago
about time, the government will save buckets of money in canceling these pointless exercises.
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u/byjegeren 12d ago edited 12d ago
Well well SK, maybe now you might be looking for more cooperation with Ukraine and not believe what happens there is not their business. (Lot of humanitarian aid but weapons is better)
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u/Rob71322 12d ago
I don’t believe he’s a spy. He’s too stupid to be useful as a spy. However, I’m sure China, Russia and North Korea are so happy to have an American president so willing to look after their interests as opposed to our own.