At the Republican Party's national convention, U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump said he intends to mend relations with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un if he retakes office.
According to Trump, in the past he was able to achieve a temporary halt to missile tests by the DPRK thanks to personal meetings with Kim.
Trump emphasized that “it's nice to get along with a man who has a lot of nuclear weapons” and suggested that the North Korean leader “misses him.” He recalled that during his presidency, he became the first sitting US president to visit North Korea, but despite face-to-face meetings in 2018 and 2019, no significant agreements were reached.
Under Joe Biden's presidency, relations between the US and the DPRK have deteriorated again. Washington accuses Pyongyang of inflaming tensions on the Korean Peninsula and possible arms transfers to Russia, although both sides have denied these accusations. Kim Jong-un also expressed support for Moscow over the conflict in Ukraine and called for stronger allied ties between the armies of the two countries.
Earlier, Kim Jong-un said Pyongyang and Moscow would play an important role in defending peace, while the Ukrainian leader complained about the supply of fighter jets from Western allies.