Trump Confirms Plans to Meet Kim Jong Un
US President Donald Trump announced that he plans to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. He made the announcement on August 19 during a conversation with reporters near the White House, Reuters reports .
Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump during their meeting in Singapore in June 2018. Photo: Evan Vucci / AP
Trump noted that he knows Kim Jong Un well and considers it positive that they maintain good relations.
According to him, dialogue with the North Korean leader can be beneficial if the US is led by a "smart president."
During the conversation, Trump also claimed that North Korea allegedly possesses 57 nuclear warheads, calling them "very powerful." However, he did not explain the source of this figure.
Expert estimates regarding North Korea's nuclear arsenal vary. For example, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), as of June 2026, North Korea could have approximately 60 assembled warheads and enough material for roughly another 30.
Trump and Kim Jong Un have met several times between 2018 and 2019 — in Singapore, Vietnam, and on the inter-Korean border. During their meeting in June 2019, Trump became the first sitting US president to cross the demilitarized zone and step onto North Korean territory.
After this, relations between Washington and Pyongyang deteriorated again. However, Trump is now seeking to resume dialogue with Kim. It was previously reported that he is considering a meeting with the North Korean leader as early as this autumn.