Let’s begin with what is almost a certainty: North Korea will not give up all its nuclear weapons and long-range missiles, nor will it agree to any comprehensive inspection regimen.

While Pyongyang may yet agree to a freeze, everything else flows from the overwhelmingly convincing evidence that Kim Jong Un will not surrender the “treasured sword” that guarantees his security.

North Korean Chairman Kim Jong Un began last year with a flurry of diplomatic activity that culminated in the perception by some North Korea watchers that he is willing to engage in negotiations to denuclearize. What Kim meant is mutual