North Korea: Kim Jong-un open to discussions with the USA

North Korea’s ruler Kim Jong-UN has signaled a fundamentally ready to talk to the US government-if Washington drops the demand for a waiver of nuclear weapons. “When the United States give up its unrealistic ideas about complete denuclearization and (…) a real peaceful coexistence with us, there is no reason for us to oppose the United States,” said Kim during a parliamentary speech on Sunday. In it he also spoke of “still having good memories of the current US president Trump”.

At the same time, he made it clear that his country would never do without nuclear weapons and that he was not put under pressure by sanctions. “The world knows very well what the United States is doing after they have forced others to give up their nuclear program,” said Kim.

Donald Trump and Kim Jong-Un had met several times during the first term of the US President. In addition to two peaks in Singapore (2018) and Hanoi (2019), there was also a short encounter between the two heads of state on the Inner Korean border in 2019. The talks have been on hold since a failed summit between Kim and Trump in 2019 during Trump’s first term.

Most recently, Trump had said in front of reporters in the White House in August that he had a “great relationship” with Kim and wanted to meet him this year. So far, the US government has stated to want to completely dismantle North Korea Nuclear. The demand that North Korea should do without its nuclear weapons has long been a dispute between Washington and Pyongyang.

According to experts, North Korea already has nuclear weapons. The country is documented with far-reaching UN sanctions and additional US sanctions because of its nuclear program. In addition, North Korea is an important supporter in Russia in the war of attack against Ukraine: Pyongyang provides Moscow soldiers and weapons.