Treat Kim Jong Un’s nuclear offer with caution
His demands are a non-starter
AFTER months when the prospect of a nuclear war on the Korean peninsula seemed all too real, it is a relief that America and North Korea may soon start talking to each other. A flurry of diplomacy has paved the way for negotiations. North Korean athletes and cheerleaders attended the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang; South Korean officials went to Pyongyang and met the North Korean dictator, Kim Jong Un. However, when Mr Kim suggested on March 6th that talks might lead to him giving up his nuclear weapons, diplomats were astonished. The Trump administration’s policy towards North Korea of “maximum pressure and engagement” has been all about the pressure. Here, many feel, is a chance to try some engagement.
This article appeared in the Leaders section of the print edition under the headline “Proceed with caution”
From the March 10th 2018 edition
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