Trump acknowledges North Korea's "nuclear capabilities" and confirms his openness to meet Kim Jong Un
In a press statement aboard the presidential plane, U.S. President Donald Trump acknowledged on Saturday that North Korea possesses significant nuclear capabilities during his Asian trip, which includes South Korea.
This came in response to a question about how open Washington is to officially recognizing Pyongyang as a nuclear state as a prerequisite for dialogue, where Trump said: "Well, I think they are somewhat of a nuclear power.".
The U.S. president added: "And when you say they should be recognized as a nuclear power, well, they have a lot of nuclear weapons, I will say that.".
These statements come just one day after Trump confirmed on Friday at the White House his full openness to hold a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
In response to a question about the possibility of this meeting during his Asian tour, Trump told reporters: "I would like that, he knows we are heading there," indicating that he is "100% open" to the idea of the meeting.
President Trump noted that he "agrees" with the North Korean leader, whom he last met in 2019.
He also highlighted the nature of their relationship, explaining: "My relationship with the North Korean leader is very good.".
It is noteworthy that these statements represent significant developments in the North Korean file, as they combine implicit recognition of North Korea's nuclear progress with a continuous affirmation of the ongoing diplomatic openness between the two sides.
