The United States is once again doubling down on its harsh rhetoric against North Korea, calling on the United Nations to do more to confront the regime in Pyongyang.  Moreover, Washington is once again reiterating that it is more than willing to use military force to ensure North Korea abandons its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

“As the President said yesterday, the United States has ‘great strength and patience,’ but all options are on the table,” U.S. vice-president Mike Pence said in a speech before the United Nations Security Council on Sept. 20.

“And if we are forced to defend ourselves and our allies, we will do so with military power that is effective and overwhelming. We call on the United Nations and this Security Council to do more to keep the peace—much more—to confront the threat posed by North Korea.”

Pence’s comments come one day after President Donald Trump—speaking before the United Nations General Assembly on September 19—threatened to “totally destroy North Korea” if provoked.

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While Pence did not go as far as Trump, he denounced Pyongyang as being ruled by a “depraved” regime that threatens the entire world.

“As the world has seen in just the past few days, a depraved regime in North Korea is relentlessly pursuing nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles,” Pence said.

“And now, as the President said, ‘threatens the entire world with unthinkable loss of human life.’”

Pence, however, took a somewhat more conciliatory tone toward the international community.

“The United States is grateful to see this Security Council unanimously adopt two resolutions imposing tough new sanctions on the North Korean regime,” Pence said.

“But to be clear: The United States of America will continue to bring the full range of American power to bear on the regime in Pyongyang. We will continue to marshal economic and diplomatic pressure—ours and from countries across the world—to demand that North Korea abandon its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.”

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But how exactly the United States or the rest of the world could convince Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons is somewhat of mystery.

Regime survival is the North Korean regime’s primary goal and nuclear weapons are the one tool that can guarantee Pyongyang’s sovereignty.

There is no incentive for the Kim regime to give up its one trump card—so to speak. The Kim regime has learnt from the mistakes of former Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi who was overthrown by U.S. and NATO-backed forces in 2011 even after receiving security guarantees in exchange for giving up his programs to develop weapons of mass destruction. The Kim regime is unlikely to repeat Gaddafi’s error.

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Ultimately, short of launching a nuclear first strike with uncertain prospects of successfully eliminating any North Korean retaliatory strike capability, the United States is likely stuck with dealing with a nuclear-armed Pyongyang. In the end, the United States will probably have to accept reality and adopt a deterrence posture as Washington has done every other time a nuclear-armed foe has emerged in previous years.

Dave Majumdar is the defense editor for The National Interest. You can follow him on Twitter: @Davemajumdar.