Trump Twists In The Wind As North Korea’s Nuclear Capability Grows

Suzanne DiMaggio was quoted in the Huffington Post about Trump's approach to North Korea:

Those who have spent years pursuing diplomacy with Pyongyang worry that a careless move from the U.S. president could derail the fragile status quo.

“I don’t think he puts enough thought into how the North Koreans are going to consume his tweets. There’s a lot of room for misinterpretation,” said Suzanne DiMaggio, a senior fellow at the New America Foundation who has participated in nongovernmental diplomacy with North Korea officials.  

DiMaggio, who met with North Korean officials in May, said the Trump administration should respond to the ICBM test by making “a good faith effort at diplomacy.” North Korea’s rapid nuclear development should be viewed as an effort to improve its negotiating position before coming to the table, she said.

“Based on the conversations I’ve had with North Koreans, denuclearization would not be on the table initially, but that could change over time,” DiMaggio said. “The best bet for the U.S. would be to pursue some type of freeze agreement to at least decrease the heightened sense of tension that we’re currently experiencing.”