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Trump Foreign Policy Tag

Germany's central bank, the Bundesbank, has revised its regulations to stop Iran from withdrawing €320 million ($400 million) in cash from the country's bank accounts. Under the new conditions, the Bundesbank can stop cash transfers that violate US Treasury sanctions, the German newspaper BILD disclosed. The drastic measure to physically ship the cash out of Germany demonstrates Tehran's demising trust in the European financial institutions as the US Treasury tightens screws on the regime's worldwide financial operations. The transaction is "one of the largest cash transfers ever in German history," a spokesman for the country's finance minister admitted.

Hungary has decided to quit the United Nations migration pact ahead of its final approval. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto slammed the UN-backed accord as a “threat to the world” and “entirely against” his country's national interests. “This document is entirely against Hungary’s security interests,” he said. “This pact poses a threat to the world from the aspect that it could inspire millions [of illegal migrants].”

President Donald Trump's meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Helsinki received some sharp criticism from the mainstream European media. Following Monday's summit, newspapers and news outlets on this side of the Atlantic made hay about the critical remarks coming from Arizona Republican senators John McCain and Jeff Flake, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, and former CIA Director John Brennan. "Trump's behavior [at the summit] was catastrophic," said the German newspaper Die Welt. "He made too many concessions to Putin. Many Republicans were shocked. And the former CIA chief even spoke of treason," referring Brennan's tweet that Trump's "press conference performance in Helsinki" was "nothing short of treasonous."

President Donald Trump's week-long Europe visit not only provoked a 'day of rage' from leftist demonstrators in London, it also triggered mainstream German media and liberal politicians, with the former German Vice-Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel even accusing the U.S. President of striving for a 'regime change' in Germany.

President Donald Trump criticized Europe's open border policy, saying that mass immigration was permanently changing the continent for the worse. The UK is "losing" its culture as a result, he added. "I think it changed the fabric of Europe and, unless you act very quickly, it’s never going to be what it was and I don’t mean that in a positive way." Trump said in an interview with the British newspaper The Sun. The comments came on the first day of his visit to the UK.

President Donald Trump ended his time in Brussels, Belgium, by declaring his commitment to NATO and finds it unnecessary for the US to withdraw. NATO members held an emergency meeting on Thursday to address Trump's concern that they're not pulling enough of their weight when it comes to defense spending. Trump touted in an impromptu news conference before his departure that the members reached an agreement.

President Donald Trump questioned Germany's growing dependency on Russian energy supplies and described Berlin as a "captive" of Russia. "They pay billions of dollars to Russia and we have to defend them against Russia," President Trump said. He also criticized Chancellor Angela Merkel's continued refusal to spend enough on Europe's security. The remarks were made today during a meeting with the NATO secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg. Trump is in Brussels to attend the two-day NATO summit.

As we near the one-month mark of the famous Singapore peace summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, it's a good time to check on the progress in the various goals set forth in those highly publicized discussion. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is flying to North Korea for a status check on denuclearization and the return of the remains of US servicemen.
In the days since the June summit, U.S. and North Korean officials have struggled to maintain basic communication, North Korea has not returned the remains of U.S. soldiers who went missing during the Korean War as promised, and new satellite imagery has shown North Korea expanding a key missile-manufacturing plant.

Reports indicate a specific missile test site has been slated for destruction by the North Koreans.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has committed to the U.S. that North Korea will destroy the Ch'olsan County, North Pyongan province testing site, which sometimes is referred to as the Sohae Satellite Launching Ground, CBS News reports. This agreement was made when President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met in Singapore earlier this month, administration officials confirmed. This is the missile test engine site that Trump had mentioned after their meeting, though at the time he did not name it.

The recently concluded summit in Singapore between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un provoked sharp responses from the mainstream media in Germany and France. The official European Union's response to the historic meeting was muted, with EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, an avid Twitter user, refraining to comment on the meeting. The sharpest reaction came from Germany, where the country's Foreign Minister Heiko Maas took the opportunity to undermine the US President.

Just because North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un met with President Donald Trump, shook hands, and signed a vague agreement doesn't mean the sanctions against the evil regime will disappear right away. From Reuters:
"President Trump has been incredibly clear about the sequencing of denuclearization and relief from the sanctions," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters after meeting South Korea's president and Japan's foreign minister in Seoul.

Perhaps my cynicism hadn't fully formed when Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009 because I was gob-smacked by the news.  He hadn't done a thing at that point except fuel the anti-Obamacare sentiment that led to the election of Scott Brown (R) in Massachusetts.  Brown vowed to serve as the Obamacare-busting #41stVote, and deep blue Massachusetts sent him to Washington. As we learn that President Trump has been nominated for the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize, I find I may again have to reevaluate my cynicism levels.

President Trump and Kim Jong Un met at the luxurious Capella Resort on Sentosa island in Singapore and their warm handshake and smiles seem to signal that the days of name-calling and North Korean rocket launching may be over.
“Nice to meet you Mister President,” Kim said as he sat alongside Trump, against a backdrop of North Korean and U.S. flags, beaming more broadly as the U.S. president gave him a thumbs up. Trump said he was sure they would have a “terrific relationship”