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U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday he is willing to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during his upcoming South Korea visit if the latter wants to hold talks, while simultaneously urging Russia to end the Ukraine war rather than test missiles.
"I'd love to meet with him if he'd like to meet, I got along great with Kim Jong Un. If he wants to meet, I'll be in South Korea," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One while traveling from Malaysia to Japan as part of his Asia tour.
Asked whether he would extend his trip to meet Kim, Trump responded affirmatively about the possibility. "I haven't thought of it, but I think the answer would be, yeah," he said.
Last week, Trump described North Korea as a "sort of nuclear power" and indicated openness to talks with the regime. "If he'd like to meet, I'm open to it," Trump said previously.
North Korea said earlier that a meeting is possible if the U.S. accepts its nuclear status, which Kim argues is "irreversible." The two leaders last met in 2019 in the demilitarized zone that divides North and South Korea.
Trump will fly to South Korea on Wednesday to meet President Lee Jae Myung before delivering remarks at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO luncheon and attending a U.S.-APEC leaders working dinner. He will hold a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday.
Separately, Trump downplayed the significance of Russia's new missile test, saying the U.S. has nuclear capabilities that render the weapons less strategically significant.
Russia announced Sunday that it had completed testing its new nuclear-powered cruise missile, Burevestnik, capable of traveling 14,000 kilometers (8,700 miles). Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump characterized the announcement as "inappropriate."
"He ought to get the war (in Ukraine) ended. A war that should have taken one week is now soon in its fourth year. That's what he ought to do instead of testing missiles," Trump told journalists.
Trump emphasized that the U.S. possesses similar or superior capabilities that do not require extended range. "We have a nuclear submarine 'right off' Russian shores that does not need to travel such distances," Trump said, adding, "We test missiles all the time."
He characterized the Russian test as a distraction from more pressing diplomatic priorities. "You ought to get the war ended ... instead of testing missiles," the president added.
Trump has led efforts to end the war in Ukraine since starting his second term in January. He met Russian President Vladimir Putin in August but cancelled another planned summit in Budapest this month, saying he did not want a "wasted meeting."
Russia has refused the U.S. and European demand to freeze the conflict on the current line of contact. Russia's forces are slowly but steadily gaining ground in Ukraine, grinding through Kyiv's defenses in costly battles.
Trump had promised to quickly end the Ukraine war upon his return to the White House, but talks between Moscow and Kyiv have stalled despite the U.S. president's mediation efforts.
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