- +8
William J. Burns, Michael Chertoff, Catherine Ashton, …
{
"authors": [
"William J. Burns"
],
"type": "legacyinthemedia",
"centerAffiliationAll": "",
"centers": [
"Carnegie Endowment for International Peace"
],
"collections": [],
"englishNewsletterAll": "",
"nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
"primaryCenter": "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
"programAffiliation": "",
"programs": [],
"projects": [],
"regions": [
"North America",
"United States",
"Middle East",
"Iran",
"East Asia",
"North Korea"
],
"topics": [
"Foreign Policy",
"Nuclear Policy",
"Arms Control"
]
}Source: Getty
U.S. Must Appreciate Merits of a Modest Deal With North Korea
America’s dealmaker-in-chief should shed his illusions of a grand bargain with Kim Jong Un and embrace the art of the possible. For clues, President Trump should look at the experience of the Iran nuclear agreement.
Now that North Korean president Kim Jong Un has rejected Donald Trump’s offer to “go big” and agree to immediate, full denuclearisation, the US president has a choice to make: double down or embrace the art of the possible. Despite the overtures, Mr Kim remains convinced that nuclear weapons guarantee his security, stature and survival. Full denuclearisation remains an important aspiration, but the more practical challenge is to reduce nuclear danger now.
This article was originally published in the Financial Times.
About the Author
Former Carnegie President (2015-2021)
A former career diplomat, William J. Burns served as director of the CIA, deputy secretary of State, and ambassador to Russia and Jordan. Burns was also president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace from 2015 to 2021.
- Reimagining Transatlantic RelationsResearch
- A New U.S. Foreign Policy for the Post-Pandemic LandscapeCommentary
William J. Burns
Recent Work
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
More Work from Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center
- The Mecca Agreement UnpackedCommentary
The accord represents a pivotal moment in the region to avert a security vacuum in the Gulf.
Azeema Cheema, Mohanad Hage Ali
- Years of FireCommentary
In an interview, Jason Burke discusses his sweeping account of the “revolutionists” who so shaped the 1970s and early 1980s.
Michael Young
- In the Trump Gaza Plan, Diplomatic Failure is SuccessCommentary
By failing to address Palestinian representation, the current process is bound to lead to just another temporary arrangement.
Nathan J. Brown
- From Hormuz to the Maghreb: The Geopolitical Reach of a Gulf CrisisArticle
Morocco and Algeria, each in its own way, are having to navigate the global economic fallout of the U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran.
Yasmine Zarhloule
- Kurdish Rebel Groups Are Wary of Tehran’s Next MoveCommentary
Following its deal with the United States, Iran may act against Iraq-based dissidents.
Wladimir van Wilgenburg