Trump & Kim Jong-un

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U.S. President Donald Trump made headlines this week when he said that he would meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in a surprising about-face in U.S. policy. But the White House qualified Trump’s statement, saying that clearly conditions for such a meeting to happen are not in place yet.

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U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed his willingness to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. In an interview with Bloomberg News, he said that if it would be appropriate for him to meet with Kim, he would absolutely be honored to do so. However, he stressed it would only happen "under the right circumstances." White House press secretary Sean Spicer said the conditions, among other things, include North Korea suspending its provocations immediately, and added that the conditions are clearly not right at the present time. Meanwhile, regarding why Trump said it would be an honor to meet with a dictator, Spicer said it was a diplomatic statement as Kim is still a head of state.

[Soundbite] Sean Spicer(White House Press Secretary)

Earlier, Trump also called Kim a "pretty smart cookie” noting that he was able to assume power at a very young age. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson had also hinted at Washington' willingness to hold direct talks with Pyongyang as long as the agenda is acceptable, and expressed no intent of a regime change in the North. U.S. media have speculated that while the Trump administration is maximizing pressure on the North, it has also begun a diplomatic approach to induce the North Korean leader to abandon nuclear ambitions and return to negotiations.