On October 25, Robert Manning published an op-ed in The Hill on the prospects of nuclear talks between the US and North Korea. Manning analyzes the recent maneuvering by North Korea and concludes that it is savvily working to improve its position in possible future negotiations.
“After 25 years of efforts to denuclearize North Korea, is the U.S. prepared to scrap its goal and settle for half a loaf: a cap and freeze of Kim’s nuclear and missile programs? Doing so would likely cause a political firestorm in Washington, even if, as expected, it would be packaged as an “interim step” toward denuclearization, a dubious figleaf. But given the long trail of failed denuclearization diplomacy and the qualitatively new threats of Pyongyang’s dangerous development of ever more capable nukes and delivery systems, a freeze, though highly improbable, may be worth at least exploring.”
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