Just when you thought it was gone, maximalism is back — and with it, the horrifying danger of US military action against North Korea. The recent Hanoi summit and subsequent events have demonstrated that the United States still thinks it can unilaterally disarm the DPRK.

After weeks of cautious optimism, including tantalizing hints of a smarter diplomatic approach from the US, the Hanoi summit collapsed last month under the weight of the Trump administration’s ignorance and hubris. A different administration might see a failed summit as a reason to reevaluate its strategy. But the US has instead reaffirmed its deluded belief that North Korea can be pressured into total capitulation. This fantasy threatens to derail inter-Korean reconciliation and undo the dramatically improved relations between the US and DPRK. If left unchecked, it could even lead back to the ominous threats of 2017, when a new Korean War seemed far too close for comfort.

The Hanoi summit’s failure was particularly jarring because in recent weeks, the administration appeared to be moving toward a more constructive negotiating position. US special representative Stephen Biegun delivered an address at Stanford University that seemed to signal a new flexibility on the part of the US. Biegun’s speech also stressed the importance of changed relations for denuclearization and emphasized Trump’s desire to finally end the Korean War.