Acknowledging North Korea as a “limited nuclear power” while pursuing a policy of containment is an “unacceptable” approach to dealing with a nuclear Pyongyang, former National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster said Tuesday, amid an ongoing review of DPRK policies by the Biden administration.

His remarks, coming a day after the U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. said North Korea is a “serious threat” to global peace and security, urged Washington to avoid relaxing pressure on Pyongyang in order to facilitate a short-term resumption of denuclearization negotiations.

“If North Korea’s ultimate goal is a ‘final victory,’ defined by a unified Korea, acknowledging