Trump: North Korean Leader Has Shown Honest and Respectful Behavior

On Tuesday, April 23, Donald Trump stated that Kim Jong Un, the leader of North Korea, has exhibited "honest and respectful behavior" and is seeking an important historical meeting as soon as possible. This contrasts sharply with the previous remarks of the U.S. President, who had referred to the North Korean leader as a "little rocket man." The U.S. and North Korean governments are negotiating to reach an agreement regarding Pyongyang's nuclear programs, aiming to hold a meeting between the leaders of the two countries in late May or June. Trump, who has adopted a very positive tone on this matter in recent days, said on Tuesday that the U.S. and North Korea are having "good discussions." According to the Associated Press, Trump, speaking at the White House alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, said, "We have been directly told that they want to have a meeting as soon as possible. We think this is a tremendous thing for the world. From all the evidence we see, Kim Jong Un has really behaved very honestly and respectfully." Trump did, however, remind that North Korea has not kept its promises in the past but praised his administration's tough actions, including sanctions and increased international pressure to compel North Korea to negotiate, reiterating that if the negotiations are not fruitful or if North Korea does not act in good faith, "he will walk away from the table." The U.S. President added, "We will see what all these actions lead to. It might yield great results, or it might not." These statements come two days after North Korea announced it would shut down its nuclear testing facilities and halt nuclear and ballistic missile tests. Trump welcomed these actions as a "big progress." However, the Associated Press notes that contrary to what Trump claimed in his message, North Korea did not announce that it would abandon its military nuclear programs or stop producing missiles or related components. U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis said on Monday that there are currently many reasons for optimism that negotiations will be fruitful. The leaders of the two Koreas will meet this week, which will significantly impact the groundwork for a meeting between Trump and Kim Jong Un. In six decades of hostility between the U.S. and North Korea, the leaders of the two countries have never met. The exact time and place for this historic meeting have not yet been determined. White House spokesperson Sarah Huckabee Sanders said on Monday that the goal of the U.S. is to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula. When asked if the President would accept a lesser goal to lift sanctions on North Korea, the White House spokesperson said, "Certainly, sanctions will not be lifted until we see concrete actions from North Korea to abandon its nuclear programs."