Adedokun Waliyu 
US President Donald Trump on Monday hinted at fresh interactions with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, saying his relationship with the North Korean leader was making the situation safer.
Trump’s vague comments came a day after he ordered the scaling back of US military drills with ally South Korea and praised his relationship with Kim.
Asked why Kim had not replied to his requests for a conversation, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office: “How do you know he hasn’t responded?”
When pressed on whether Kim had actually responded, Trump replied after a pause: “Yeah, he has.”
Trump then described the talks as “very positive” when asked what stage the conversations with Kim had reached, but provided no further details.
In the past, Trump has given similarly vague accounts of unconfirmed conversations with other foreign leaders, including Russia’s Vladimir Putin and China’s Xi Jinping.
Trump also renewed his praise for Kim, whom he met three times during his first term but has not encountered since returning to the White House last year. He said his relationship with the North Korean leader had helped reduce tensions with the nuclear-armed country.
“You see, I’m actually making it much safer. Kim Jong Un has always treated me with great respect,” Trump said.
“I understand him. He understands me.”
Trump also renewed his criticism of Seoul, particularly over South Korea’s refusal to assist US military operations against Iran, in another rebuke of long-standing alliances with global partners.
He had initially criticised South Korea in a post on Truth Social on Sunday night.
Speaking in the Oval Office on Monday, Trump said: “We can’t go around and protect all of these countries, especially when they’re not there to help us.”
