US diplomats walked out of a UN Security Council meeting on Monday after France publicly criticized America's human rights record under President Donald Trump. The dramatic protest followed tensions over Washington's vote against extending the mandate of UN human rights chief Volker Turk.
General Francis Donovan, commander of U.S. Southern Command, met with senior Cuban military officials on Friday at the perimeter of Naval Station Guantanamo Bay in a rare high-level military engagement. The meeting focused on operational security matters and comes amid heightened tensions as the Trump administration increases pressure on Cuba.
The Trump administration confirmed plans to pull 5,000 US troops from Europe in the near term, with NATO's top military commander indicating more withdrawals may follow long-term. Additionally, the US will reduce the pool of military capabilities available to assist NATO allies during major crises.
The Trump administration announced it will withdraw from a long-standing bilateral defence coordination body with Canada, citing insufficient Canadian defence spending and referencing remarks by Prime Minister Mark Carney at the World Economic Forum. The suspension affects a joint military consultation mechanism dating back to World War II.
Taiwan appealed to President Trump to stay the course on weapons sales following his Friday comments delaying approval of a $14 billion arms sale. US Trade Representative later said Trump is 'considering' how to approach the deal.
