This is not an instance of bilateral negotiations,” White House spokesman Tony Snow told Reuters news agency.
“What you had …this week in Berlin were talks with Chris Hill and a North Korean representative as preparations for the six-party talks.”
Oh. Sure. Not negotiations, talks. Right. That makes all the difference. Thank goodness it was talks and not negotiations!
Either way, the US seems to be showing some flexibility on a number of issues, including economic sanctions, which means that there is now the actual possibility of negotiation at the upcoming resumption of the Six-Party Talks.