Obama says North Korea's isolation limits Washington's leverage

Former President Barack Obama weighed in on upcoming nuclear negotiations with North Korea while giving a speech in Japan on Sunday.
"North Korea is an example of a country that is so far out of the international norms and so disconnected with the rest of the world," he said, which means Pyongyang is "less subject to these kinds of negotiations" because they have little in the way of international relations to lose under punitive sanctions schemes.
"So far," Obama added, "we haven't seen as much progress [with North Korea] obviously as we would have liked. But the one thing that is very important to recognize is that individually, no country can solve this problem as effectively as if we all work together."
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.
President Trump has announced plans for direct talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un this spring, though a date and location for the negotiations have yet to be determined.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Trump executive order targets homeless
Speed Read It will now be easier for states and cities to remove homeless people from the streets
-
Columbia pays $200M to settle with White House
Speed Read The Trump administration accused the school of failing to protect its Jewish students amid pro-Palestinian protests
-
Florida judge and DOJ make Epstein trouble for Trump
Speed Read The Trump administration's request to release grand jury transcripts from the Epstein investigation was denied
-
Trump attacks Obama as Epstein furor mounts
Speed Read The Trump administration accused the Obama administration of 'treasonous' behavior during the 2016 election
-
Trump administration releases MLK files
Speed Read Newly released documents on the 1968 assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. did not hold any new revelations, King historians said
-
Japan's prime minister feels pressure after election losses
Speed Read Shigeru Ishiba has vowed to remain in office
-
President diagnosed with 'chronic venous insufficiency'
Speed Read The vein disorder has given Trump swollen ankles and visible bruising on his hands
-
'Bawdy' Trump letter supercharges Epstein scandal
Speed Read The Wall Street Journal published details of Trump's alleged birthday letter to Epstein