US President Donald Trump has said he would be meeting North Korea’s Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un later this year in an apparent move aimed at defusing the tensions between Washington and Pyongyang.ย
He made the announcement while speaking to reporters at the White House on Wednesday.
Trump, a two-time US President and a Republican leader, said he gets along with Kim quite well, as he defended the North Korean leader and claimed that Pyongyang has around 57 nuclear weapons, while justifying his war against Iran.
“He has 57 very powerful nuclear weapons. Should have never allowed it to happen… If I were president, I wouldn’t have allowed it,” AFP quoted Trump as saying. “But he’s got them. I get along with him very well. I can’t let Iran have a nuclear weapon. And I know Kim Jong Un very well, and he’s going to be fine.”
A meet in November?
Neither Trump, nor top American officials have given any detail regarding the possible meeting between the two leaders, but a report by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) has claimed that the US President and the North Korea’s Supreme Leader in November this year.
The report said Trump is likely to travel to China’s Shenzhen for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit, where he is looking to meet the North Korean leader.
While Trump is looking to meet Kim in November, his sister Kim Yo Jong has said she is not aware about any such communication between the two leaders. However, she said Kim has “good memories and feelings” about Trump, and the relationship between them remains “excellent”.
“Regarding the recent news from Washington about communication between the leaders of North Korea and the United States, I am completely unaware of it,” Kim Yo Jong said, as quoted by AFP.
Why this meeting would be crucial?
The proposed meeting between Trump and Kim would be crucial in defusing the tensions in the Korean peninsula where tensions have remained high for major part of the history. If Trump goes on to meet Kim, then this would be the second meeting between the two leaders.ย
Previously, Trump had met Kim during his first stint as US President in 2018 in Singapore.
The development is also significant as it comes days after Trump ordered the Pentagon to substantially reduce planned joint military exercises with South Korea, which were aimed enhancing the preparations in case of a possible attack by North Korea.
The US has roughly 28,500 troops stationed in South Korea, and North Korea has on occasions voiced concerns over joint drills by Washington and Seoul, threatening to exercise self-defence. However, this proposed meeting between Trump and Kim could help resetting the ties, reducing tensions in the Korean Peninsula.ย ย
ALSO READ:
Amid Iran-US tensions North Korea fires ballistic missiles again, flexing muscle