Guy Taylor
Articles by Guy Taylor
Kim Jong-un, Xi Jinping talk strategy ahead of potential summit with Donald Trump
Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Beijing Tuesday for a discussion on ways the two might better coordinate their strategies ahead of a possible second summit between Mr. Kim and President Trump. Published January 8, 2019
Mike Pompeo, John Bolton, Donald Trump scramble to get Syria troop withdrawal story straight
The Trump administration scrambled Monday to straighten out the messaging of its Middle East policy and assure allies of America's staying power amid confusion in the region over the scope and pace of the president's plan for withdrawing U.S. troops from Syria. Published January 7, 2019
U.S. and North Korean officials meet in Hanoi to discuss Trump-Kim summit: Report
American diplomats have quietly held multiple meetings with North Korean officials in Vietnam to discuss holding a second summit between President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in the southeast Asian nation, a South Korean newspaper reported Monday. Published January 7, 2019
Turkey claims FBI officials visiting Ankara to discuss Gulen
Turkish media claimed Friday that an American delegation including FBI officials was in the second day of meetings in Ankara to discuss Turkey's outrage over U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accuses of masterminding a failed 2016 coup in the country. Published January 4, 2019
Former CIA official: Moscow may have grabbed ex-Marine to spring Russian spy from U.S.
A former top CIA officer in Russia says the ex-U.S. Marine indicted on espionage charges by Moscow doesn't fit the profile of U.S. intelligence and may have been arrested as part of a Kremlin plot to muscle Washington into freeing a high-profile Russian spy held by the United States. Published January 4, 2019
China willing to use ‘force’ to absorb Taiwan if necessary
Chinese President Xi Jinping stated outright on Wednesday that Beijing's goal is to absorb Taiwan and that China could use "force" to achieve the goal if necessary. Published January 2, 2019
Trump ‘America first’ doctrine tested by crises, shifting global order
President Trump's high-wire nuclear diplomacy with North Korea could collapse or achieve a major breakthrough. The same goes for contentious trade talks with China, Mr. Trump's withdrawal of troops from Syria and Afghanistan, an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal and the administration's nuclear brinkmanship with Iran. Published December 31, 2018
Mike Pompeo hopes to find in Brazil a new ally against China
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will use a trip to South America next week to forge an alliance against rising Chinese influence in the region with incoming Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, a hardline conservative who's made headlines by accusing Beijing of trying to "buy" Brazil. Published December 28, 2018
Mike Pompeo: North Korea talks not ‘like instant pudding’
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo sought to put a positive face on the struggling denuclearization talks with North Korea Thursday -- even as Pyongyang escalated its aggressive rhetoric with a fresh demand that Washington remove a U.S. nuclear umbrella currently protecting South Korea and Japan. Published December 20, 2018
U.S. withdrawal from Syria may leave Kurdish allies in a lurch
An abrupt U.S. withdrawal from Syria will have major spillover effects on a number of players in the conflict, including Iran, but the biggest short-term impact is likely to be felt by Syria's Kurdish minority, who have provided critical help in the fight against the Islamic State but rely on American protection for their survival in the war zone. Published December 19, 2018
North Korea denuclearization talks ‘sluggish’ with U.S.
The Trump administration is struggling to inject new momentum into the denuclearization talks with North Korea, amid signs the U.S.-South Korean alliance is facing new strains over Seoul's unwillingness to pay more for American troops stationed in the South. Published December 18, 2018
Saudis slam Senate resolutions on crown prince, Yemen
Saudi Arabia lashed out at Washington Monday, saying the kingdom "rejects any interference in its internal affairs," days after the U.S. Senate blamed the Saudi crown prince for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and demanded an end to U.S. support for the kingdom's military campaign in Yemen. Published December 17, 2018
North Korea threatens to kill nuclear talks over human rights sanctions
North Korea threatened Sunday to kill any progress toward denuclearization if the Trump administration continues to increase sanctions pressure and criticize human rights abuses by leader Kim Jong-un's regime. Published December 16, 2018
Donald Trump working on Fethullah Gulen extradition, Turkey claims
Turkey's top diplomat claimed Sunday that President Trump has assured Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan that Washington is working on extraditing U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom Ankara accuses of orchestrating the failed 2016 coup in Turkey. Published December 16, 2018
Israel-China Haifa port deal triggers U.S. Navy pushback
Israel's decision to allow a Chinese government-connected firm to run a key Israeli port is causing rare friction with Washington amid behind-the-scenes pushback from the U.S. Navy, which has a long history of docking at the port. Published December 16, 2018
Pompeo calls on China to release two Canadians
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday downplayed the notion that Canada is getting caught in the middle of U.S.-China tensions, even as he called on Beijing to release two Canadians it detained this week after Canada had arrested a top Chinese executive at the Trump administration's request. Published December 14, 2018
NATO steps up strategic Ukraine aid after push by Trump administration
NATO said Thursday it will soon supply the Ukrainian military with high-tech, secure communications equipment, a key tactical move roughly a week after the Trump administration pushed on the alliance to take more of a "leadership" role in confronting Russian aggression in Ukraine. Published December 13, 2018
State Department Global Engagement Center targets Russian propaganda, ‘deep fakes’
The State Department is ramping up a secretive counter-propaganda center to fight Russian disinformation efforts in nearly two dozen nations as part of what Trump administration officials say is an expanding push to crush Moscow's "fake news" influence operations around the world. Published December 11, 2018
North Korea lashes out after Donald Trump hits Kim Jong-un regime on human rights
North Korea's state media lashed out at mounting U.S. criticism of Pyongyang's human rights record Tuesday, delivering a blistering commentary just hours after the Trump administration leveled sanctions against three top North Korean officials for their involvement in abuses. Published December 11, 2018
Political table set for battle over Nord Stream 2 in Germany
Is Germany about to yield to pressure from the Trump administration to take a stand against Russia's Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline? Published December 7, 2018