The US President-elect Donald Trumpʼs team is discussing the possibility of direct talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Reuters writes about this with reference to sources.
This is how they hope to give relations between Washington and Pyongyang a new stimulus in order to reduce the risks of an armed conflict. It remains unclear what outcome the diplomatic efforts will bring — discussions are ongoing and Trump has yet to make a final decision.
It is also unknown how North Korea will react to such an initiative. Under Joe Bidenʼs presidency, North Korea ignored calls to start talks without preconditions, and Kim Jong Un grew much closer to Russia.
Trumpʼs initial goal could be to restore basic contacts between the US and North Korea, but as Reuters interlocutors note, future political goals are not defined. This issue may take a backseat to more pressing foreign policy issues, such as the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.
During Trumpʼs first presidential term, the leaders of the US and North Korea met three times. The first meeting was held in Singapore, the second in Hanoi, and the third on the border between the DPRK and South Korea in the demilitarized zone. As Reuters writes, diplomatic efforts have not brought concrete results, despite Trumpʼs assurances that he and the leader of the DPRK "have fallen in love with each other."
In addition, last week Trump nominated Alex Wong for the position of deputy national security adviser. During Trumpʼs first term as president, Wong was the US deputy special representative for North Korea. According to Trump, Wong helped negotiate the Trump-Kim Jong Un summit.
- In mid-November 2024, Kim Jong Un accused the United States of increasing tensions and provocations. According to him, the Korean Peninsula has never faced such a high risk of nuclear war.
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