Venezuela

• Trump takes guidance from Marco Rubio on Venezuela policy. [Link]
• NSA John Bolton says the US may lift sanctions on Venezuelan military officers who defect to the Juan Guaido government. [Link]
• US sanctions are punishing the Venezuelan people. [Link]
• The Wall Street Journal reports the Trump Administration’s regime change effort is part of a larger plan that also targets Cuba and Nicaragua. [Link]

The New Cold War

• Alexander Lukin explains how the US policy experts misunderstood Russia after the fall of the USSR and turned Russia into an enemy. [Link]
• Gilbert Doctorow outlines the beginning of the New Cold War with Russia in his book review of Stephen Cohen’s War With Russia. [Link]

Korean Peace

• Trump will meet with Kim Jong-un in Vietnam on Feb 27th-28th. [Link]
• The US and South Korea reach an agreement to split the cost of US troops deployed to South Korea. The talks on the cost-sharing agreement were at a standstill over Trump’s demand for South Korea to sharply increase its share of the costs. [Link]  

Israel

• The Senate passes a bill that will allow states to punish businesses for boycotting Israel. The bill also includes several other laws that benefit Israel. [Link] Roll Call
• The US will buy the Iron Dome missile defense system from Israel. [Link]

Afghanistan

• The Taliban say the US has agreed to withdraw half of US troops in Afghanistan by the end of April. [Link]
• The Taliban restate their demand that all foreign forces leave Afghanistan in response to Trump suggesting the US keep a small number of US forces in Afghanistan indefinitely. [Link]  
• The Afghan President says he will oppose any peace deal made between the US and the Taliban unless the Afghan government is the final decision maker. [Link]
• The NY Times Editorial Board calls for an end to the War in Afghanistan. [Link]