Trump invites North Korea to ‘make a deal’ on nuclear issue
US President suggests two powers ‘come to the table’ to settle nuclear tensions

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.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
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.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Microsoft unveils quantum computing breakthrough
Speed Read Researchers say this advance could lead to faster and more powerful computers
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump seeks to end New York's congestion pricing
Speed Read The MTA quickly filed a lawsuit to stop the move
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Today's political cartoons - February 20, 2025
Cartoons Thursday's cartoons - post-mortem negotiations, problematic immigration, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Trump seeks to end New York's congestion pricing
Speed Read The MTA quickly filed a lawsuit to stop the move
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Who is actually running DOGE?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION The White House said in a court filing that Elon Musk isn't the official head of Donald Trump's Department of Government Efficiency task force, raising questions about just who is overseeing DOGE's federal blitzkrieg
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump officials try to reverse DOGE-led firings
Speed Read Mass firings by Elon Musk's team have included employees working on the H5N1 bird flu epidemic and US nuclear weapons programs
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump blames Ukraine for war after US-Russia talks
Speed Read The US and Russia have agreed to work together on ending the Ukraine war — but President Trump has flipped America's approach
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
What will the thaw in Russia-US relations cost Europe?
Today's Big Question US determination to strike a deal with Russia over Ukraine means Europe faces 'betrayal by a long-term ally'
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
The end of empathy
Opinion Elon Musk is gutting the government — and our capacity for kindness
By Theunis Bates Published
-
What is Donald Trump's net worth?
In Depth Separating fact from fiction regarding the president's finances is harder than it seems
By David Faris Published
-
How will Keir Starmer pay for greater defence spending?
Today's Big Question Funding for courts, prisons, local government and the environment could all be at risk
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published