The team of newly elected U.S. President Donald Trump is considering the continuation of direct talks with North Korean President Kim Jong Un, hoping that new diplomatic pressure will reduce the risk of military conflict, Reuters reports, citing two unnamed sources.
Several members of Trump’s team have noted that he is now directly seeking to rebuild the relationship he previously established with the North Korean leader during his first presidential term, according to the two sources familiar with the matter.
According to these sources, Trump said “discussions on policy are fluid” and “there are no final decisions.”
Trump’s transition team did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.
PROČITAJTE VIŠE:
It is unclear what Kim Jong Un would offer Trump in return, as the North Koreans ignored U.S. President Joe Biden’s calls over the past four years to start unconditional talks, while their leader is currently encouraged by an expanded missile arsenal and much closer relations with Russia, Reuters assesses.
During his first presidential term from 2017 to 2021, Trump held three meetings with Kim Jong Un in Singapore, Hanoi, and at the border between the two Koreas, marking the first time a sitting U.S. president stepped onto North Korean territory.
Those diplomatic efforts did not yield concrete results, and the U.S. called on North Korea to abandon its nuclear program, while Kim demanded the complete lifting of sanctions.
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Source: N1, Photo: REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque