The Washington Post has stated that it's time to recognize North Korea as a nuclear power and discuss limiting the size of Pyongyang’s arsenal rather than seeking denuclearization. 

In an editorial published on Sunday, the paper said the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is no longer an option, and that the North has effectively secured the status of a nuclear power. 

The newspaper estimated that the reclusive state has up to 50 assembled nuclear warheads in its stockpile and enough fissile material to produce 40 more.

The outlet claimed that the White House's omission of the North from its National Security Strategy last month was a "calculated omission" amounting to an admission that Pyongyang is a nuclear power. 

The paper said "recognizing North Korea as a permanent member of the nuclear club would mark a seismic, and painful, policy shift," adding that "accepting that reality would open the door for negotiations over limiting the number of warheads and missiles."

The Post wrote that negotiating with Pyongyang requires candor and that "silence is not sustainable," stating that if Washington is ready to shift its posture from denuclearization to “freeze and cap,” it should say so outright.