The administration of the US President Donald Trump is secretly holding discussions and consultations with outside experts, considering options for potentially resuming dialogue with North Korea.
A number of sources reported this to Axios.
As the publication notes, North Korea has made alarming progress on the nuclear weapons issue since Trump and Kim Jong Un held two summits in 2019. Trump has made it clear that he would like to reconnect with Kim, perhaps face-to-face — and his national security team is preparing for such a scenario.
"We are convening agencies to understand where the North Koreans are today. A lot has changed in the last four years. We are assessing, diagnosing and talking about potential pathways, including engagement," a senior US official said.
Closed-door discussions involving think tank experts and current and former US officials suggest that the Trump administration is considering different scenarios for a Trump-Kim meeting, said Andrew Yeo, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.
Last week, Swedenʼs ambassador to North Korea, who represents US interests in the country, visited Washington for consultations with US officials and experts. Axois sources say the discussions were largely about "taking the temperature" in Washington over its engagement with Pyongyang.
- In mid-November 2024, Kim Jong Un accused the United States of escalating tensions and provocations. According to him, the Korean Peninsula has never faced such a high risk of nuclear war.
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