Pyongyang
Let’s talkUnder pressure from China, North Korea agreed this week to return to multilateral negotiations on its nuclear programs. Last year, North Korea walked out of the six-nation talks, which began in 2003, to protest U.S. financial sanctions. Since then, the Kim Jong Il regime said it would talk only with the United States. But even after North Korea tested two missiles this summer and a nuclear bomb last month, the U.S. insisted that any talks must include Russia and China, North Korea’s two main trade partners, as well as South Korea and Japan. The breakthrough came after a seven-hour meeting in Beijing between American, Chinese, and North Korean diplomats. “I am pleased,” said President Bush, “and I want to thank the Chinese.”
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Pope seeks inquiry on if Gaza assault is 'genocide'Speed Read In a book for the Jubilee 2025, Pope Francis considers whether Israel's war in Gaza meets the legal definition of 'genocide'
-
Can Europe pick up the slack in Ukraine?Today's Big Question Trump's election raises questions about what's next in the war
-
Biden allows Ukraine to hit deep in RussiaSpeed Read The U.S. gave Ukraine the green light to use ATACMS missiles supplied by Washington, a decision influenced by Russia's escalation of the war with North Korean troops
