US defies North Korea

(RT) ⸻ The US and South Korean militaries have announced their largest joint exercises in at least five years and their longest on record, defying threats from North Korea. The concurrent drills, called Freedom Shield and Warrior Shield, are designed to strengthen the allies' response capabilities amid a changing security environment, North Korean "aggression" and lessons learned from recent wars and conflicts. The exercises, including amphibious landings, will run from March 13 to March 23 and will be the largest-scale joint drills held by the two countries since then-President Donald Trump throttled back such training during peace talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The US made a show of force on Friday, deploying a B-1B stealth bomber in a joint air drill with South Korean aircraft. The aim of the drill was to demonstrate Washington's "strong and credible extended deterrence against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats." North Korean officials have called such joint exercises dress rehearsals for an invasion. The two Koreas have technically been at war for more than seven decades, as their 1950-1953 conflict ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty. Tensions in the region have escalated in the past year, with North Korea conducting a record number of missile tests.