Report: Trump’s team is considering resuming direct negotiations with Kim…

President-elect Donald Trump’s team is considering resuming direct negotiations with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Reuters reported last night (Tuesday). The purpose of resuming talks between Pyongyang and Washington, according to Trump’s staff, is to reduce the risk of a flare-up between the countries and to try to return the parties to discussions, as was the case during Trump’s first term. According to the report, which is based on two factors involved in the discussions, the contacts are still in the initial stages and no final decision has been made on the matter.

The report claims that North Korea ignored Washington’s appeals for holding talks without preconditions during the four years of Democratic President Joe Biden’s term. The North Korean news agency reported last week that during a military exhibition in the country, the supreme leader referred to relations with the Americans and said: “We have already done everything we can regarding negotiations with the United States.”

There are those in Trump’s team who believe that the relationship built during the first term will make it possible to “break the ice” with Kim and resume talks. This report comes against the background of various reports about Trump’s intention to stop the war in Ukraine and also the war in Israel.

During Trump’s first term, there was a surprising rapprochement between him and the dictator from North Korea. Although the diplomatic efforts produced no real results, Trump even declared that he and Kim had “fallen in love” after exchanging letters. Trump was the first American president to meet the leader of the most isolated country in the world at the summit held by the leaders in 2019. At their meeting, the United States demanded that North Korea abandon its nuclear program, while Kim demanded the complete lifting of sanctions – and the gap between the leaders led to the renewal of mutual threats.

The North Korean nuclear program and the tightening cooperation with Russia pose many challenges to the new-old president upon his return to the White House in January. According to the report, Washington is concerned about several issues: North Korea’s nuclear and missile program, the escalating rhetoric against South Korea and the close cooperation with Russian President Vladimir Putin. A source in the US administration told Reuters that these issues are expected to be part of the updates that will be provided by Biden’s transition team to incoming President Trump’s team.

Against the background of increased cooperation between Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin, there has been a real escalation in tensions on the Korean Peninsula in recent weeks. At the end of October, North Korea conducted a test of the HWASONG-19 intercontinental ballistic missile, and short-range ballistic missiles were launched and exercises were conducted in the operation of attack drones. In addition, there were many visits by high-ranking North Korean and Russian officials.

This week, Reuters revealed satellite images that show a significant increase in North Korea’s missile production rate. According to the analysis of the published photographs, Pyongyang carried out work to expand the missile production center called the “February 11 Factory” – which produces, among other things, the KN-23 short-range ballistic missiles – that Kim Jong Un supplies to Russia for the war in Ukraine.