Daily Inspiration Quote by Mitchell Reiss

Diplomacy usually sells itself as dialogue, but Reiss is describing something closer to choreography. The “same side of the table” isn’t just a comforting image of unity; it’s a power move designed to narrow North Korea’s options before anyone even starts talking. In six-party-style negotiations, the real contest often happens between the supposed partners: who blinks first, who freelances, who offers a side deal. Reiss’s intent is to prevent Pyongyang from doing what it’s historically done well - exploiting seams, playing Beijing against Washington, Seoul against Tokyo, Russia against everyone, extracting concessions for partial steps, then resetting the crisis clock.

The phrase “diplomatic weight” signals that he’s thinking in terms of leverage, not persuasion. Unity becomes a substitute for trust: you don’t need to believe North Korea will reciprocate if you can make the costs of refusal high and the rewards of compliance clear and jointly controlled. “Wanting the same thing” is aspirational and strategically ambiguous; allies rarely want identical outcomes, but they can agree on a baseline (denuclearization, verification, no proliferation) and quarantine their disagreements offstage.

Then there’s the bluntness of “putting it to the North Koreans.” That language carries the subtext of pressure, even mild humiliation: a united front presenting terms, not inviting improvisation. It’s also aimed at domestic audiences and allied capitals - a reassurance that no one is getting outflanked by a secret bargain. Reiss is arguing that in this arena, process is policy: the optics of solidarity are themselves a negotiating instrument.