Recognizing that President Trump now views their nuclear negotiations through the prism of a personal friendship rather than a policy disagreement, Kim Jong Un is defeating Trump’s disarmament interest while also avoiding U.S. use of military force.

The North Korean leader’s strategic intent is to free his nuclear and ballistic missile program from U.S. threats of force, and to dissipate the international sanctions regime targeting Pyongyang. Kim is focused on maintaining relative personal cordiality towards Trump, cultivating Russian assistance, and overtly but carefully presenting the U.S. as unreasonably obstinate in its demands.