US President Donald Trump has downplayed any hopes for an imminent deal to persuade North Korea to dismantle its nuclear weapons, claiming he's in "no hurry" to reach a denuclearization deal.
"Many people have asked how we are doing in our negotiations with North Korea - I always reply by saying we are in no hurry," Trump tweeted Friday.
Trump also expressed optimism, saying North Korea's economy has "wonderful potential" and that its leader Kim Jong-un "sees it better than anyone and will fully take advantage of it for his people."
Many people have asked how we are doing in our negotiations with North Korea - I always reply by saying we are in no hurry, there is wonderful potential for great economic success for that country....
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 14, 2018
The tweet comes as talks between the two countries for a denuclearization deal have appeared to have stalled, in part due to disagreements over the timing of sanctions relief.
The US seeks the complete and irreversible dismantling of North Korea’s nuclear program. Pyongyang is demanding a solid guarantee of its security and the removal of Washington’s nuclear umbrella protecting allies South Korea and Japan.
A historic summit was held between Trump and Kim in June to launch denuclearization talks between the two countries after months of military threats. A second summit is expected to be held next year.
However, Washington says Pyongyang has taken few concrete steps to abandon its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
The UN has slapped a series of tough economic sanctions on Pyongyang over its nuclear and ballistic missile programs. Washington maintains that UN sanctions will remain in place until North Korea has fully scrapped its weapons programs.