US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un may be planning to give him “a nice present” such as a “beautiful vase” for Christmas rather than a missile launch, The Associated Press reports.
The comment came after the President was asked what he will do if North Korea does conduct a long-range missile test.
The North has threatened to take unspecified action if sanctions are not eased by the end of the year, and speculation has centered on the possibility of a new missile test, possibly of an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead.
The North has said that its “Christmas gift” to the United States will depend on Washington’s actions.
“Maybe it’s a present where he sends me a beautiful vase as opposed to a missile test,” Trump said. “I may get a nice present from him. You don’t know. You never know.”
North Korea said earlier this month it had successfully conducted another test at a satellite launch site and added its latest tests are aimed at “restraining and overpowering the nuclear threat of the US”.
Trump and Kim engaged in months of mutual insults and threats of devastation in 2017, sending tensions soaring before a diplomatic rapprochement the following year.
The pair have met three times since June 2018, most recently in Vietnam in February, but with little progress towards denuclearization. Pyongyang has set Washington a December 31 deadline to make new concessions to kickstart stalled talks.
Since that June meeting, North Korea has conducted several tests of ballistic missiles.
Trump warned recently that Kim had "everything" to lose through hostility towards the United States.
Last week, Trump said he would be disappointed if something is “in the works” in North Korea, adding the United States is watching activities in the Asian nation closely.