Despite rising tensions, a conflict on the Korean peninsula is not likely to take place. The current regime in the DPRK only has one goal in mind: survival. Any conflict with the United States will end in the complete devastation of North Korea and the toppling of the current government, a fact readily understood by the North Korean regime. However, regardless of the economic and political pressure to stop its missile building, the regime will continue its pursuit of nuclear weapons and the capability to strike countries around the world. As Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin stated, North Koreans will “eat grass" before giving up their nukes. The DPRK has watched as Iraq and Libya, under Saddam Hussein and Muammar al-Gaddafi respectively, have given up their pursuit of WMD only to then be deposed by US forces. The Kim regime understands that the sole way to win a seat on a world stage and deter any foreign aggression is to become the 10th nuclear state. The idea of a nuclear North Korea is one that the international community must come to accept, much like it has in regards to Russia’s annexation of Crimea or China’s pursuit of island building in the South China Sea. Only from this standpoint can discussions between the United States, North Korea, and the international community begin.
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