The United States is prepared to talk to North Korea without preconditions, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said in comments published on Sunday evening.

The statement appears to represent a significant shift in the U.S. position on North Korea – which has until now been that Pyongyang would have to agree to talking about complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization.

Describing the altered policy as “maximum pressure and engagement at the same time,” the Vice President stressed, however, that an ongoing campaign of sanctions would continue. The previous policy was simply called “maximum pressure and engagement”.

“The point is, no pressure