Nuclear Notes

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has had far-reaching political and economic consequences. It has, among other things, reshaped Russian-North Korean relations. Meanwhile, in the Middle East, the Israel-Palestine war has had its own effects, both in the region and internationally. It has even indirectly but noticeably affected the conflict in Ukraine. Gaza has pushed Ukraine out…

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has scrambled international affairs around the globe, from the killing fields of Nagorno-Karabakh to the halls of the UN. One of the major areas where it is having an effect is the triangle of relations between North Korea, China, and Russia. The three are not a tempestuous love triangle, but it…

The last several months have seen signs that North Korea may have decided to embark on a radically different foreign and military strategy. First, there was the suggestion that Pyongyang had reversed course in its policy toward the US and was now no longer interested in any relationship with Washington. Then came the shocking announcement…

The last post discussed the claim by some Korea watchers that the North has changed its basic foreign policy towards the United States, abandoning any interest in diplomatic relations with Washington. This month, in what may be a related or unrelated development, Kim announced a dramatic change in the DPRK’s policy toward South Korea. Kim…

In the last six months, several highly respected scholars have suggested that North Korea has made a major shift in its foreign policy with the United States. For years, the view inside the US government has been that North Korea’s number one foreign policy objective is a diplomatic deal with the US—not Beijing, not Seoul,…