Nuclear weapons are a red line that cannot be negotiated with Washington

During the North Korean parliamentary session, which was held last week, President Kim Jong Un delivered a speech in which he indicated his country’s readiness to engage in diplomatic negotiations with the United States, but he set a conclusive condition: the United States must stop seeking nuclear weapons from North Korea, these statements were a new confirmation of the fixed position adopted by the regime in Pyongyang for a long time.

In his speech, Kim pointed out that he still has good memories of the US President, Donald Trump, but stressed that if the United States continues to demand the removal of Korean nuclear weapons, there can be no negotiations, and he said: “If the United States stops its empty obsession with removing Korean nuclear weapons, we are ready to sit and negotiate.” For North Korea to give up its nuclear program, stressing that his country’s nuclear situation is irreversible.

Ongoing policy

Kim’s statements were part of a continuous policy that North Korea followed since the collapse of the Hanoi Summit in 2019, at that summit, Pyongyang refused to negotiate nuclear weapons, a position that does not seem to change in the near time, and despite Trump’s repeated attempts to call for dialogue with North Korea since he took office again, Kim puts a clear red line of what diplomacy can achieve. With the United States, as if Washington continues to insist on removing nuclear weapons from North Korea, the road to any kind of diplomacy will remain closed.

Kim’s statements confirm a statement made by his sister Kim Yu Jong last July, as she described the relationship between her brother and Trump as “not bad”, but she urged Washington to abandon its demands for nuclear disarmament in order to resume diplomacy.

These attitudes from Pyongyang are a great concern in Washington, where it is difficult to accept the idea that North Korea will not abandon its nuclear weapons, which undermines American efforts to conduct negotiations on disarmament, and although Trump continues to keep good memories of his talks with Kim between 2018 and 2019, the reality highlights that any diplomatic negotiations in the future will be far from the imposition of arms Nuclear.

The opportunity is lost

In light of the collapse of the Hanoi summit, a number of experts feel sorry, because Washington did not benefit from the opportunity that North Korea gave at the time, the offer made by Pyongyang, which includes the dismantling of its main nuclear complex, was a advanced step, although it was not fully satisfactory, but it was a sign of North Korea’s willingness to negotiations, and despite that, the American side insisted on its demand to remove Full nuclear weapons from North Korea, which led to the collapse of the talks.

In the context of this ongoing tension, the North Korean government realizes that giving up its nuclear weapons in light of the current security environment is a great adventure, and given the strong military alliances that include the United States and South Korea, Pyongyang considers that its possession of nuclear weapons is a basic guarantee of the regime’s survival, and this position increases with the passage of time.

It is difficult for the litigants to get rid of the feelings of mutual trust, enmity, and engage in diplomacy to discuss reaching a settlement, especially for a weaker and more fragile side.

Stimuli

On the other hand, there are some incentives that may push Kim Jong Un to think about negotiations with the United States, such as lack of confidence in the capabilities of nuclear deterrence in the face of military threats from Washington, or a desire to improve the North Korean economy with American support, or uncertainty about the prospects for long -term relations with China and Russia, but despite these stimuli, Pyongyang’s decision to adhere to nuclear weapons, It is still fixed.

On the other hand, North Korea significantly strengthens its nuclear and missile military capabilities, which makes it in a strong position that enables it to resist American pressure more, and at the same time, relations between North Korea, Russia and China are witnessing a positive development, as Moscow and Beijing are no longer opposing the North Korea building for its nuclear arsenal as it was happening in the past, but Russia has become explicit support to North Korea in this field, including helping it in its help Easted from international sanctions.

In short, Pyongyang’s influence has increased in resisting Washington’s pressure, while America’s influence has worked to pressure it significantly, and it seems logical that Kim excludes any possibility of conducting diplomatic negotiations with nuclear disarmament with Washington.

Stable position

Despite this, the United States continues to adhere to its steadfast stance on nuclear disarmament from North Korea, and in recent statements, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, with its Japanese and South Korean counterparts, stressed that the United States is “completely committed to the removal of nuclear weapons from North Korea”, stressing the position of the United States for decades, which highlights the continued incompatibility between the American and North Korean positions, and in this complex situation, then The continued American insistence on disarmament of nuclear weapons may lead to counterproductive results. On the one hand, North Korea will continue to develop its nuclear program, and on the other hand, the United States may become more isolated in its endeavor to negotiate.

Hence, the US administration must reassess its goals in dealing with North Korea, instead of focusing on nuclear disarmament, it may be more realistic to seek to freeze North Korea’s nuclear program or reach agreements related to reducing the production of nuclear weapons, and preventing North Korea from selling nuclear and missile technology abroad, these steps may lead to improving regional and global security, and providing space for future negotiations. James Park* *Researcher at the American “Quincy” Institute About «Reesbonspal Stetkraft»

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Coordination with Seoul

It is important that the United States take into account in its negotiations with North Korea well with South Korea, as the dialogue that does not take into account the security interests of its partners in the region, especially South Korea, may lead to the deterioration of the alliance between Washington and Sahl, and may push South Korea towards developing its own nuclear capabilities, which the United States seeks to avoid.

• The continued American insistence on disarmament of nuclear weapons may lead to counterproductive results, and the Trump administration must reassess its goals in dealing with North Korea.

• There are incentives that may push Pyongyang to think about negotiations, such as lack of confidence in nuclear deterrence capabilities, or the desire to improve the economy with American support.