lull in the North’s nuclear and missile tests, and a pause in US–South Korea military exercises — it could serve as a basis for a more expansive agreement. And though the Pentagon may hate to admit it, there is historical precedent for such a deal. In the 1990s, the United States suspended the Team Spirit exercises as part of its early efforts to prevent the North from developing a nuclear bomb.

In fact, the United States did it twice: first to encourage the North Korean government to cooperate with nuclear inspections, and then again as part of the Agreed Framework deal that halted the DPRK’s weapons program. Plus, an actually existing deal might follow the spirit of the Chinese and Russian proposal without including its more comprehensive aspects. TheUnited States and South Korea could agree to scale back the exercises, for instance, instead of entirely canceling them. Modifications to the drills could be supplemented with other elements: relaxation of sanctions (which continue to harm ordinary North Koreans), economic aid, or additional security assurances.

For the North, the latter is particularly important. The Kim dynasty fears regime change — which the United States has a history of inflicting on governments that relinquish their nuclear ambitions — so a sense that both states are inching toward detente will be critical. A peace treaty to formally end the Korean War should absolutely be a part of the ongoing conversation — and those of us in the United States who care about preventing a resumption of hostilities should be pressuring our