US President Donald Trump has described North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as a “friend” while downplaying concerns over North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme.
Trump made the comments in Washington, DC, after a reporter questioned why North Korea could possess nuclear weapons while the United States insists that Iran should not have them.
Trump said Kim was “a friend” who likes him, adding that he believed the North Korean leader would be “fine” as long as he remained in office because Kim respected him.
The US president acknowledged that North Korea has a sizeable nuclear capability but said it was not comparable to that of the United States.
South Korean Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back said last week that North Korea was estimated to possess between 80 and 120 nuclear warheads. This is considerably higher than Trump’s recent estimate of 57 nuclear weapons.
Trump has been seeking to revive direct engagement with Kim Jong Un. The two leaders held summits in 2018 and 2019, but negotiations collapsed over US demands that North Korea abandon its nuclear weapons programme.
Since then, North Korea has continued developing nuclear-capable missiles and strengthened its relations with Russia and China.
Trump has previously said he plans to meet Kim in person before the end of the year, although North Korea has not formally confirmed its willingness to hold such talks.
The comments come as the US and Israel’s conflict with Iran enters its eighth month. Trump has maintained that Iran must not acquire a nuclear weapon, while Tehran has repeatedly denied seeking to develop one.
Iran has also pointed to the 2015 nuclear agreement with world powers, which placed restrictions on its nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief. Trump withdrew the United States from the agreement in 2018 during his first presidential term.
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