U.S. President Donald Trump has extended multiple invitations to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ahead of his visit to South Korea this week, with Seoul officials publicly supporting the idea.
So far, Pyongyang has remained silent, and U.S. and South Korean officials have said that no concrete plans for a meeting are in place. Before Trump’s departure from Washington, North Korea conducted a test launch of what it described as a new hypersonic ballistic missile.
Trump has used his tour of Asia to highlight his willingness to meet Kim, aiming to revive the series of summits the two leaders held during his first term.
“I had a good relationship with him,” Trump told reporters on Monday. “I’d love to see him if he wants to — if he even gets this message. We haven’t mentioned anything, but he knows I’m going there. If he’d like to meet, I’d be happy to.”
When asked what leverage he could use to bring Kim back to negotiations, Trump pointed to sanctions. “That’s pretty big to start off with,” he said. “I’d say that’s about as strong as you can get.”
The pair previously held summits in 2018 and 2019 before talks collapsed over Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons programme. North Korea remains under strict international sanctions due to its nuclear and ballistic missile development.
Last month, Kim signalled a potential willingness to meet Trump if the United States abandoned its demands for denuclearisation, while ruling out dialogue with South Korea. “Personally, I still have fond memories of U.S. President Trump,” Kim said in a speech carried by the Korean Central News Agency. “If the U.S. drops its absurd obsession with denuclearising us and accepts reality, seeking genuine peaceful coexistence, there would be no reason not to sit down with them.”
However, there is no indication that such a meeting will take place. A U.S. official confirmed that a visit to the Demilitarised Zone between North and South Korea had been considered but not scheduled.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, who took office in June and has aimed to reduce tensions with Pyongyang, has suggested that Trump could use his visit to open a new dialogue.
Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said North Korea might respond to Trump’s proposal by Tuesday or Wednesday, while Foreign Minister Cho Hyun told parliament that Trump’s reference to North Korea as a “nuclear power” and hints at easing sanctions could encourage Kim to engage.
“However, compared to 2017 and 2018, North Korea has now formed a military alliance with Russia and deepened its ties with China,” Cho added.
On Monday, North Korea’s foreign minister met with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The two countries signed a strategic partnership last year, including a mutual defence pact, and Pyongyang has reportedly sent troops, artillery, ammunition, and missiles to support Moscow’s campaign in Ukraine.
In Tokyo on Tuesday, Trump met with the families of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea decades ago.
The Middle East crisis intensifies after the deadly attack on the compound of the Supreme Leader of Iran Ali Khamenei on Saturday t...
The U.S.-Iran crisis has entered its third day, with further strikes reported across the Middle East and the death toll rising. Oil prices have sur...
Israel carried out heavy airstrikes on the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs of Beirut on Monday (2 March), af...
Türkiye and Iran have suspended day-trip passenger crossings at their shared border, Türkiye's trade minister said Monday, as a ...
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi has held talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov following recent mil...
The Middle East crisis intensifies after the deadly attack on the compound of the Supreme Leader of Iran Ali Khamenei on Saturday that killed him, other family members and senior figures. Iran has launched retaliatory strikes on U.S. targets in the region.
The U.S.-Iran crisis has entered its third day, with further strikes reported across the Middle East and the death toll rising. Oil prices have surged to levels last seen during the Covid-19 pandemic, raising fears of economic disruption and higher prices worldwide.
Türkiye and Iran have suspended day-trip passenger crossings at their shared border, Türkiye's trade minister said Monday, as a U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran entered its third day.
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi has held talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov following recent military strikes carried out by the United States and Israel on targets in Iran, as tensions in the Middle East continue to rise.
Follow the latest developments and global reaction after the U.S. and Israel launched “major combat operations” in Iran, prompting retaliation from Tehran.
Saudi Arabia’s state oil giant Saudi Aramco closed its Ras Tanura refinery on Monday following an Iranian drone strike, an industry source told Reuters as Tehran retaliated across the Gulf after a U.S.-Israeli attack on Iranian targets over the weekend.
The Kremlin is utilising the recent United States and Israeli military strikes on Iran to validate its ongoing war in Ukraine. Russian officials are pointing to the escalation in the Middle East as evidence that Western nations do not adhere to international rules.
The Middle East crisis intensifies after the deadly attack on the compound of the Supreme Leader of Iran Ali Khamenei on Saturday that killed him, other family members and senior figures. Iran has launched retaliatory strikes on U.S. targets in the region.
Ayatollah Alireza Arafi has moved into a pivotal constitutional role following the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, becoming the clerical member of Iran’s temporary leadership council under Article 111 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The U.S.-Iran crisis has entered its third day, with further strikes reported across the Middle East and the death toll rising. Oil prices have surged to levels last seen during the Covid-19 pandemic, raising fears of economic disruption and higher prices worldwide.
The UK said it's allowing the U.S. to use its bases for defensive strikes against Iran amid escalating missile attacks, after a suspected drone strike hit a British airbase in southern Cyprus, causing limited damage.
The Kremlin is utilising the recent United States and Israeli military strikes on Iran to validate its ongoing war in Ukraine. Russian officials are pointing to the escalation in the Middle East as evidence that Western nations do not adhere to international rules.
European Union stands with its member states in the face of any threat, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in response to the drone strike that hit Britain's Royal Air Force base of Akrotiri in southern Cyprus overnight.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 27th of February, covering the latest developments you need to know.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment