Being that there is no central power above the states, this pressure being placed on North Korea is somewhat ineffective. Without an overarching power to enforce regulations, the United States and the other states involved in these negotiations are limited in the amount of influence that they can have without taking direct action, such as force. In the current nuclear environment, North Korea can either assume that other states’ nuclear capabilities are not a threat and are merely defensive or it can work to ensure that they are not vulnerable or left in a weakened position because of their lack of nuclear weapons and technology. Because of North Korea’s current international relations and its past actions, it is unlikely that North Korea will suddenly trust foreign states and accept this weakened position. Being that power in this situation means nuclear weapons and technology, North Korea whether in its own defense or in an offensive pursuit of power, will likely continue its attempt to gain weapons and technology. The fact that this poses a threat to other states is inevitable and will not improve North Korea’s international relations. But it appears that North Korea is more concerned with its own power, in this case its nuclear power, than the international communities’ approval.