“President Trump can’t make the North Koreans walk through the door he’s holding open. They’re the ones that have to take the steps to denuclearize and that’s what we’re waiting for.”

White House National Security Advisor John Bolton. Federalist Society, 10 September

Intentionally or otherwise, National Security Advisor John Bolton’s comments earlier in the month reveal the current state of play between Washington and Pyongyang in the log-jammed denuclearization talks.

Bolton’s statement tells us that the United States has retained little leverage against North Korea, such that it is unable to reason with, coerce, or persuade the Kim regime to