WASHINGTON / SEOUL — United States President Donald Trump predicted on Wednesday (Jan 10) the crisis between the US and North Korea would be resolved without war, tamping down tensions that he has helped stoke in the region.
Mr Trump brushed aside fears of an armed conflict at a White House news conference with visiting Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg.
A Norwegian reporter asked about Marine Corps Commandant General Robert Neller’s remarks to Marines in Norway last month in which the general predicted “a big-ass fight,” according to Military.com, and his expectation that “there’s a war coming.”
“Maybe he knows something that I don’t. No, I don’t expect that,” Mr Trump said in the news conference.
He said the US has “some problems” with North Korea, but commended recent talks between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s regime and the South Korean government.
“A lot of good talks are going on now. A lot of good energy. Hopefully, a lot of good things are going to work out.”
North Korea has become Mr Trump’s most urgent foreign crisis, as he struggles to contain the regime’s rapidly advancing nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes.
Mr Trump has said North Korea won’t be allowed to develop a nuclear missile capable of striking the US, and has threatened war if economic sanctions and negotiations can’t avert Mr Kim’s ambitions for such a weapon.
Mr Trump earlier in the day promised South Korean President Moon Jae-in that he wouldn’t attack North Korea while the two Asian nations hold negotiations, and added that he’s open to direct US talks with Pyongyang under the right circumstances.
South Korea said Mr Trump had also said in a phone call with its President Moon Jae-in that there would be no military action while North-South talks were going on.
He said Mr Moon told him the talks went well, and added: “Hopefully it will lead to success for the world, not just for our country, but for the world. And we’ll be seeing over the next number of weeks and months what happens.”
The latest developments come as South Korea prepares to host the Winter Olympics in the city of Pyeongchang beginning Feb 9.
North Korea agreed to send athletes to the games after talks with Mr Moon’s government on Tuesday. The two sides agreed to further talks aimed at reducing tensions on the peninsula they share.
While Washington has welcomed the talks as a first step toward solving the crisis over North Korea’s programme to develop nuclear missiles capable of reaching the US, it has reiterated that any talks involving the US must be aimed at North Korea’s denuclearisation.
The White House said Mr Trump told Mr Moon the US was willing to talk to North Korea “at the appropriate time and under the right circumstances.”
The White House also said Mr Moon and Mr Trump agreed to continue a “maximum pressure campaign” against Pyongyang.
Mr Moon’s office said that Mr Trump agreed that inter-Korean talks could lead to US-North Korea negotiations for denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.
Mr Kim has vowed never to give up his country’s nuclear weapons, regarding them as his last line of defence against a US invasion.
Technically, South Korea and the US remain at war with North Korea after the Korean War ended in 1953 with an armistice instead of a peace treaty.
Meanwhile, the US and Canada are due to host a conference of about 20 foreign ministers next week in Vancouver to discuss North Korea, without the participation of China, Pyongyang’s sole major ally and biggest trade partner.
The State Department said the talks, which will involve countries that supported South Korea in the Korean War, would look at ways both to increase the US-led pressure campaign on North Korea and take diplomatic efforts forward.
“The pressure campaign is intended to lead to credible negotiations on denuclearisation,” a spokesman said.
China said it was opposed to the meeting as it would not help reduce tensions. AGENCIES