President Donald Trump made clear on Monday that he would be open to direct talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un "under the right circumstances" during an interview to Bloomberg News.
“Most political people would never say that,” President Trump said. “But I’m telling you under the right circumstances I would meet with him. We have breaking news.”
Never before has a sitting American president met with any member of the Kim dynasty. The two leaders before Jong Un, Il Sung and Jong Il remained openly hostile towards any relations with the United States.
And according to the report, the U.S. currently has no diplomatic relations with North Korea.
“If it would be appropriate for me to meet with him, I would absolutely, I would be honored to do it,” President Trump said. “If it’s under the, again, under the right circumstances. But I would do that.”
In recent weeks, North Korea conducted what it labeled the "largest ever" live-fire exercise and continues to launch ballistic missiles as a show of force. The regime has also released videos depicting the destruction of Washington, D.C.
Last Wednesday, all 100 U.S. senators met at the White House for a briefing with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats and General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.