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Trump calls N.K. role in Russia’s war ‘complicating’ factor, says he gets along ‘very well’ with Kim

December 12, 2024

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has said that Pyongyang’s involvement in Russia’s war in Ukraine is a “very complicating” factor, while boasting about his personal ties with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Trump made the remarks in an interview with U.S. magazine TIME published Thursday as he commented on issues related to Russia’s war in Ukraine and instability in the Middle East.

“When North Korea gets involved, that’s another element that’s a very complicating factor,” Trump said during the interview with the magazine that chose him as the 2024 TIME Person of the Year.

“And I know Kim Jong Un, I get along very well with Kim Jong Un. I’m probably the only one he’s ever really dealt with. When you think about it, I am the only one he’s ever dealt with,” he added.

Asked if he will abandon Ukraine, Trump said, “I want to reach an agreement, and the only way you’re going to reach an agreement is not to abandon.”

Speculation has lingered that after Trump takes office on Jan. 20, he could seek to revive his personal diplomacy with Kim. But it remains uncertain whether Pyongyang could accede to diplomatic feelers from Washington amid its deepening military alignment with Moscow.