Trump says he is willing to have a phone conversation with North Korean leader

The President of the United States stated that he is 'definitely' willing to have a phone conversation with the North Korean leader if the opportunity arises. Donald Trump also expressed hope that negotiations between the two Koreas will yield positive results. On January 6, Trump, speaking to reporters at Camp David in Maryland, said he is ready and willing to talk to Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader, if the chance comes up, and that 'there is absolutely no problem.' However, Trump emphasized that there will be preconditions. The U.S. President expressed hope that the negotiations between South and North Korea will also have favorable outcomes, stating that the groundwork for such negotiations is due to his policies: 'This is a beginning, and a great beginning. If it weren't for me, they wouldn't be negotiating.' Kim Jong-un, in his New Year message on January 1, spoke about the 'necessity of reducing military tensions on the Korean Peninsula.' The North Korean leader, a year after the intensification of the crisis on the peninsula, significant increases in Pyongyang's nuclear military tests, and reciprocal threats, announced at the beginning of 2018 that 'both the North and the South must make efforts' to reduce tensions. A day after these remarks, South Korea stated it is willing to sit down for talks with Pyongyang. Ultimately, North Korea announced on Friday its agreement to resume negotiations with its southern neighbor. Despite reciprocal statements and the preparations for talks, such negotiations were not far-fetched. A few days before the New Year, the ministry overseeing North Korean affairs in South Korea had predicted that Pyongyang would 'increase its nuclear and missile capabilities' in 2018 and 'would likely seek a way to negotiate.' In 2017, South Korea, despite unprecedented increases in tensions, threats, and warnings, avoided negotiations and continued its missile and military tests; last summer, it conducted a new nuclear test that was said to relate to a 'hydrogen bomb.' North Korea's actions faced international condemnation, and the U.S. President had threatened that the country would face 'fire and fury'; however, the U.S. State Department had repeatedly expressed hope for negotiations and finding a diplomatic solution. Pyongyang claims that its missile and nuclear program is 'preventive' and for 'defense against nuclear attack.' The country is currently under severe sanctions. According to estimates from Seoul, these sanctions have reduced North Korea's exports to China - its main supporter - by more than 30%, and signs of a sudden increase in the prices of some goods and basic necessities have also been observed.