Summary
Sometimes diplomacy is the art of going in two directions at once, and the Trump administration seems to have chosen that sweet spot of ambiguity, for now, in managing its continuing confrontation with North Korea. President Trump has paused his "Little Rocket Man" rhetoric and boasts about the size of his own nuclear button. He's insisting this week that talk of a U.S. military strike (which he had encouraged) is "completely wrong," and calling for discussions with North Korea "under the right circumstances".
North Korea hasn't tested weapons in more than a month and is talking to the South.
Ideally, the next step would be direct U.S.-North Korean talks.
The North may offer a different formula, but Washington probably won't care so long as the other side shows up.
Diplomats report the beginnings of food shortages in North Korea and China is sending some North Korean workers back home.
It will also highlight the failure of the U.S.-led coalition, so far, to stop North Korea from becoming a de facto nuclear power.
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