President Trump asserted in an interview published Sunday that the United States will “solve” the North Korea problem, with or without China’s help.
“Well, if China is not going to solve North Korea, we will. That is all I am telling you,” Trump said in an interview with the Financial Times. According to Reuters, Trump’s national security aides have just completed a review of options for dealing with North Korea.
Trump said he plans to discuss the growing threat with China’s Xi Jinping when the two meet later this week at the president’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
“China has great influence over North Korea. And China will either decide to help us with North Korea, or they won’t. And if they do that will be very good for China, and if they don’t it won’t be good for anyone,” Trump said.
In an interview that aired earlier Sunday, United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley said the U.S. will “put pressure” on China to take action against North Korea’s nuclear weapons program. “The only country that can stop North Korea is China and they know that,” Haley told ABC’s “This Week.”
The president said he believes in alliances, but there’s a limit. “I do believe in alliances. I believe in relationships. And I believe in partnerships. But alliances have not always worked out very well for us,” Trump said.
Trump also pushed back on reports that his first meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel went poorly.
“I had a great meeting with Chancellor Merkel,” he said. I had a great meeting with her, I really liked her. … We had a great meeting and the press doesn’t get it.”
