US President Donald Trump is trying to re-establish personal ties with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and hold a new meeting with him.
Modern.az reports that “The New York Times” has published information about this.
In recent months, Trump has repeatedly expressed positive opinions about the North Korean leader. However, Pyongyang has not yet responded positively to Washington's initiatives.
In June, Trump shared a photo of himself walking with Kim Jong Un on the grounds of the luxurious hotel in Singapore where their first historic meeting took place in 2018. A few weeks later, the US president stated that he had “very good relations” with the North Korean leader.
In August, Trump also announced his intention to meet Kim Jong Un this year. At the same time, Washington reduced the scale of joint military exercises with South Korea. Trump described these exercises as a hostile step against the DPRK.
However, Pyongyang has not shown readiness for Washington's initiative. Kim Jong Un's sister, Kim Yo Jong, stated that she was unaware of any contact between her brother and Trump. According to her, the reduction in the scale of the US-South Korea military exercises did not change the “provocative and offensive nature” of these exercises.
In September, North Korea again described US policy as hostile and announced that it would continue to strengthen its nuclear potential. Pyongyang also rejected Washington's calls for the country's complete denuclearization.
China's role in the Trump-Kim meeting
A possible meeting between the US president and Kim Jong Un could also be discussed during upcoming contacts with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
Xi Jinping is scheduled to visit Washington on September 24. North Korea, a long-time ally of China, could be one of the issues discussed during the meeting.
This will be the second meeting between Trump and Xi Jinping this year. The talks are also expected to cover issues such as trade, Taiwan, Iran, artificial intelligence, and the supply of strategically important minerals.
According to US experts who spoke to “The New York Times,” China is interested in maintaining its influence over Pyongyang and does not want North Korea to get too close to the US. Beijing's help in organizing a meeting between Trump and Kim could give China additional leverage in its relations with Washington.
Previous meetings between Trump and Kim
A new meeting could be a continuation of the diplomacy that Trump and Kim Jong Un began during Trump's first presidency.
In 2018, the two leaders held a summit in Singapore. In 2019, they met in Hanoi. The talks in Vietnam ended without an agreement on North Korea's denuclearization.
In June of that year, Trump became the first sitting US president to enter North Korean territory. He met Kim Jong Un in the demilitarized zone and spent some time with him on the North Korean side of the border.
Trump has previously spoken about his personal relationship with Kim. During his first presidency, he even said that the two leaders were “in love” and showed guests at the White House the letters they exchanged.
Now the US president is trying to revive that diplomacy. However, North Korea's stance suggests that the personal relationship between the leaders does not mean that Pyongyang is ready to return to the previous format of talks.
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung also stated on September 18 that a meeting between Trump and Kim Jong Un is possible in the coming months. According to him, suitable conditions must be created for this to happen.
