I was in Moscow when North Korea conducted its underground nuclear test, brazenly announcing to the world that it now had the bomb. The Russians I spoke to that day – high-level government officials and business leaders – were appalled, just as I was. “Sanctions”, however, was not the first word on their lips. “Negotiation” was. But not a continuation of the failed six-party talks, in which they have long been a participant. Yes, the Russians voted for trade sanctions at the United Nations Security Council, but in private they will tell you the best way to handle North Korea and Kim Jong-il, its isolated despot, is through direct bilateral talks with the US.

I agree. Two-way negotiations offer the best hope for bringing this prickly situation to a peaceful conclusion. Consider what Mr Kim has done: in the face of international condemnation, he chose to detonate his atomic device. His act was like that of a child crying out for attention – in this case, attention from the ultimate daddy state, the US. As Robert Gallucci, America’s former top negotiator with North Korea, recently said: “I think the North Koreans in their hearts still see the United States as nine feet tall.”