Trump claims to have a good relationship with North Korea’s leader

On Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump stated that he maintains a positive relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, with whom he engaged in multiple summits during his first term. He reiterated that North Korea is a “nuclear power.” When asked by reporters in the Oval Office, during a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, about the possibility of rekindling relations with Kim, Trump responded, “I would … I have a great relationship with Kim Jong Un, and we’ll see what happens, but certainly he’s a nuclear power.”

Upon his inauguration for a second term on January 20, Trump labeled North Korea as a “nuclear power,” prompting speculation about whether he would focus on arms reduction discussions instead of the denuclearization efforts that were unsuccessful during his first term in any potential engagement with Pyongyang. After mentioning the nuclear capabilities of Russia and China, Trump remarked, “It would be a great achievement if we could reduce the number. We have so many weapons, and the power is so great.

“First of all, you don’t need them to that extent. Additionally, we would need to involve others, because, as you know, in a smaller capacity, Kim Jong Un possesses a significant number of nuclear weapons, and there are others as well. Countries like India and Pakistan also have them, and we need to include them in the conversation.”

When questioned about whether Trump’s comments indicated a change in policy regarding North Korea’s nuclear arsenal, a White House official affirmed, “President Trump will pursue the complete denuclearization of North Korea, just as he did in his first term.”

On February 15, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, along with his Japanese and South Korean counterparts, reiterated their “resolute commitment to the complete denuclearization” of North Korea in line with U.S. Security Council Resolutions. Recently, Kim Jong Un’s influential sister, Kim Yo Jong, criticized the Trump administration for escalating “provocations,” asserting that this justified North Korea’s enhancement of its nuclear deterrent. This week, North Korea launched multiple ballistic missiles, marking its first such action since Trump assumed office.