In the 1990s, the United States offered to help North Korea with its energy needs if it gave up its nuclear weapons programme.

North Korea is going to get away with keeping its nuclear weapons.

The larger picture here is that a North Korea with nuclear weapons adds to the larger proliferation risk.

The best is if talks with the United States go well and North Korea gives up its weapons.

It's very certain that North Korea is developing nuclear weapons for offensive purposes. They don't need nuclear weapons to defend their own country.

A nuclear program has arguably worked as a deterrent for North Korea and other states - would Moammar Gadhafi have been deposed and summarily killed if Libya had had nuclear weapons? Iranians might not think so.