The last glimmer of hope for a nuclear detente with North Korea, that had resulted from negotiations with the Clinton administration, went out the window with the invasion of Iraq by George W. Bush.
From the viewpoint of North Korea, nothing demonstrated the perfidy of the United States than when Bush ordered U.N. arms inspectors, who were not finding any nuclear weapons, out of Iraq, and then invaded the smaller country for reasons of policy.
Their distrust was reinforced when Gaddafi, who had given up his nuclear ambitions, was bombed into submission by Western Powers, in Libya, during the Obama Administration. The nuance that the West was trying to avoid a genocide by Gaddafi, was lost on the despotic leadership of North Korea.
With the Iran agreement now in jeopardy, it is doubtful that the United States will ever, ever again, be able to single-handedly broker and act as guarantor to any agreement between other nations, as in the past.
For a great many years, our allies have overlooked our imperialistic policies and actions for the sake of their defense. Trump has caused them to finally realize that their defense is not worth the destruction of the world.
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