Trump invites North Korea to ‘make a deal’ on nuclear issue

Donald Trump stepped back from his usual “fire and fury” threats today and made a diplomatic appeal for North Korea to reach an agreement over nuclear issues.

“It makes sense for North Korea to come to the table and to make a deal,” the US president said in a joint press conference with South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in today. “That’s good for the people of North Korea and the people of the world.”

Trump - who has previously sparked outrage by threatening to “totally destroy” North Korea and calling the country’s leader, Kim Jong Un, “little rocket man” - said he “hoped to God” he would not have to use US military capabilities against North Korea, the BBC reports.

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Meanwhile, USA Today’s Jessica Lee says that “as the sole superpower, the United States can, and must, do more to de-escalate tension and give diplomacy a chance”.

Trump is on a 13-day tour of Asia, where he has made North Korea’s nuclear and missile programmes a key issue. According to Politico, the president has asked Congress for another $4bn (£3bn) for missile defence to help counter the nuclear threat posed by North Korea.