CIA director Gina Haspel on Monday noted that relations between the U.S. and North Korea were better than a year ago, though also said the DPRK was unlikely to give up its nuclear weapons easily.

Speaking at Kentucky’s University of Louisville, the CIA director said that North Korea had previously claimed that nuclear weapons were essential to the DPRK’s survival, but added that dialogue between the two countries had improved relations.

“I don’t think that they want to give (the nuclear program) up easily,” Haspel said. “I do think sitting here today in 2018 that we are in a better place than