Foreign Policy Focus Washington from

Washington Considers Opening Liaison Office in North Korea

February 19, 2019 Focus Washington

Washington is considering opening a liaison office in North Korea, in what would be another potential step toward normalizing relations while the two sides negotiate to curtail Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile forces, Wall Street Journal […]

Follow

U.S. Sanctions Hit Russian Aviation Industry

February 19, 2019 Focus Washington

U.S. sanctions on Russia have taken their toll and impacted the production of the MC-21 passenger jet, which Russia hoped could revive its civil aviation industry. As a result, it has been delayed for a year, […]

Follow

Third Migrant Dies in U.S. Border Patrol Custody

February 19, 2019 Focus Washington

Another migrant has died after he had been taken into custody by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, Newsweek reported. Although the man’s identity has not been revealed, police sources have reported that he re-entered illegally into […]

Follow

Saudi Arabia Refutes Iranian Claims for Attack on IRGC

February 18, 2019 Focus Washington

A senior Saudi diplomat on Monday fired back after Iran initially blamed the Kingdom for an attack last week that killed 27 members of Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guard, AP/Washington Post reported. Adel al-Jubeir, the minister […]

Follow

Trump Tells European Countries to Take Back ISIS Fighters

February 18, 2019 Focus Washington

President Donald Trump took to Twitter over the weekend telling European countries to take back ISIS fighters captured in Syria and put them to trial. “Time for others to step up and do the job […]

Follow

Russia Says Ready for Arctic LNG 2 Project Even If U.S. Sanctions Scare off Investors

February 17, 2019 Focus Washington

Moscow will launch the Arctic LNG 2 project even if it has to do it on its own, Russia’s Finance Minister Anton Siluanov has said, adding that a new U.S. bill introducing fresh sanctions against […]

Follow

U.S. Businessman Calvey to Be Detained in Russia Until April 13

February 17, 2019 Focus Washington

The founder of Russian equity firm Baring Vostok, U.S. investor Michael Calvey, told a Russian court on Saturday he would cooperate with an investigation into alleged financial misconduct and comply with terms if put under […]

Follow

Trade Talks with China to Continue Next Week in Washington

February 15, 2019 Focus Washington

The trade talks between China and the U.S. will continue next week in Washington as both sides said that during this week’s negotiations in Beijing progress was made. According to Reuters, The White House is […]

Follow

Top General Disagrees with Trump Over Syria Withdrawal

February 15, 2019 Focus Washington

The U.S. commander who has been leading the war against ISIS disagrees with President Donald Trump’s decision to pull troops out of Syria, warning that the terror group is far from defeated, CNN informs. Joseph […]

Follow

Pompeo Expects Trump, Kim to Discuss End of Korean War Declaration

February 15, 2019 Focus Washington

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Thursday that he expects President Donald Trump to discuss the possibility of formally ending the 1950-53 Korean War at his next summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Yonhap/The […]

Follow

Trump Administration Demands Tougher Action from Europe on Iran

February 15, 2019 Focus Washington

U.S. and Israeli leaders continued to push for confrontation with Iran at the Warsaw ministerial meeting on Middle East security Thursday, strongly criticizing Europe in the process, CNN informed. According to Vice President Mike Pence, […]

Follow

Former U.S. Air Force Intelligence Specialist Charged with Spying for Iran

February 14, 2019 Focus Washington

The Justice Department said on Wednesday that Monica Witt, a former U.S. Air Force sergeant who defected to Iran, has been charged with spying for the Middle Eastern country and revealing the identities of her […]

Follow

Senators Prepare Massive New Russia Sanctions Bill

February 14, 2019 Focus Washington

A bipartisan group of U.S. senators has proposed a far-reaching bill aimed at punishing Russia for its “broad spectrum of bad behavior” that will for the first time force the Trump administration to assess whether […]

Follow

U.S. North Korea Envoy Warns of Gap in Nuclear Talks Before Summit

February 13, 2019 Focus Washington

The U.S. envoy to North Korean nuclear talks said it would be hard to resolve remaining disputes before President Donald Trump’s upcoming summit with Kim Jong-un, according to a South Korean lawmaker, in a sign […]

Follow

U.S. House of Representatives Passes a Resolution Stopping Involvement in Yemen War

February 13, 2019 Focus Washington

The House of Representatives passed a resolution Wednesday calling for the end of any US military support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen, which was deemed the world’s worst humanitarian crisis last year by the […]

Follow

EU, USA Preparing New Sanctions on Russia over Ukraine

February 13, 2019 Focus Washington

The European Union and the United States are close to an agreement on new sanctions against Russia following the capture of 24 Ukrainian sailors off the coast of Crimea late last year, Russia Business Today […]

Follow

Trump Claims Crime at El Paso Went Down with Border Wall

February 13, 2019 Focus Washington

President Donald Trump held a rally in Texas on Monday where he rejected statistics and official statements from El Paso city authorities regarding the reports of crime at the U.S.-Mexico border, Newsweek reported. “I don’t care […]

Follow

Pompeo Says Putin Poses Threat to Democracies Worldwide

February 13, 2019 Focus Washington

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made a statement on Tuesday that Russia’s President Vladimir Putin is a threat to democracies worldwide, Newsweek reported. “For a decade and a half, or a little bit more, too many […]

Follow

Pentagon Warns of Foreign Laser Threats to U.S. Satellites in New Report

February 12, 2019 Focus Washington

The Pentagon has released a new report warning of Chinese and Russian threats to American satellites, saying that the two countries are developing capabilities, including lasers, to threaten the U.S.’ preeminent position. “China and Russia, […]

Follow

Trump Blasts Iran on Revolution’s Anniversary in a Tweet Written in Persian

February 12, 2019 Focus Washington

President Donald Trump in a tweet written in Persian criticized Iran and it’s leadership on the 40th anniversary of the Iranian revolution. “40 years of corruption. 40 years of repression. 40 years of terror. The […]

Follow

Pompeo and His Russian Counterpart to Discuss Venezuela Situation on Tuesday

February 12, 2019 Focus Washington

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will discuss the situation in Venezuela later on Tuesday by phone, Reuters reports, quoting Lavrov. Russia and the United States have backed opposing […]

Follow

Iran Celebrates 40th Anniversary of Islamic Revolution

February 11, 2019 Focus Washington

Hundreds of thousands of people across Iran took to the streets on Monday to mark the 40th anniversary of the country’s Islamic Revolution. Speaking in the capital Tehran, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani told a huge […]

Follow

U.S. to Hit Russia with New Sanctions

February 11, 2019 Focus Washington

The United States Congress will resume talks on new restrictions against Russia on Tuesday, and Russian experts note that the most dangerous scenario for the country is sanctions against state banks. As all transactions in […]

Follow

Trump, Kim to Discuss North Korean Missile Complex, U.S. Rewards

February 11, 2019 Focus Washington

President Donald Trump’s first summit with North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un last year was a historic meeting, which seemingly promised to deliver progress in terms of the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, but little has […]

Follow

U.S. Military Could Leave Syria by April

February 9, 2019 Focus Washington

The Pentagon is preparing to pull all U.S. forces out of Syria by the end of April, even though the Trump administration has yet to come up with a plan to protect its Kurdish partners […]

Follow

Iran’s Khamenei Says ‘Death to America’ Aimed at Trump, Not American Nation

February 9, 2019 Focus Washington

Iranians will chant “Death to America” as long as Washington continues its hostile policies, but the slogan is directed at President Donald Trump and U.S. leaders, not the American nation, Iran’s supreme leader said on […]

Follow

Russia Fish Industry Benefits from Trump’s Trade War with China

February 8, 2019 Focus Washington

Russian-caught fish sold in the U.S. is enjoying a price advantage inadvertently protected by a trade decision by the Trump administration, and much of the cheaper Russian product ends up in fish sticks served to […]

Follow

France Joins U.S. in Opposition to Nord Stream 2 Pipeline

February 8, 2019 Focus Washington

France has rejected an appeal by German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government and has agreed to back a European Union proposal creating hurdles for Russia’s controversial Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, Russia Business Today reports. The pipeline has […]

Follow

Humanitarian Aid for Venezuela Arrives at Colombian Border

February 8, 2019 Focus Washington

Trucks carrying U.S. humanitarian aid destined for Venezuela arrived Thursday at the Colombian border, where opposition leaders vowed to bring them into their troubled nation despite objections from embattled President Nicolas Maduro, AP/TIME reported. Food […]

Follow

Iran Could Pardon Huge Number of Prisoners to Mark Revolution

February 8, 2019 Focus Washington

Iran claims it will pardon a “large number” of prisoners to mark the upcoming 40th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, though how many of those locked up might actually get out remains an open question, […]

Follow