South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok Meets U.S. Vice President JD Vance to Advance Trade and Security Talks 
Japan Snap Election Sparks Bond Yield Surge as Parties Clash Over Fiscal and Monetary Policy 
NATO Chief Says Greenland Sovereignty Not Discussed as Trump Backs Off Tariff and Force Threats 
Trump Reverses Course on Greenland After Diplomatic Backlash 
Russia, U.S., and Ukraine Plan Abu Dhabi Security Talks as Moscow Stresses Territorial Demands 
U.N. Human Rights Council Condemns Iran Over Deadly Crackdown on Protests 
Taiwan President Offers Cooperation With Ukraine to Combat Sanctions Evasion 
Keir Starmer Condemns Trump’s Afghanistan Remarks as European Allies Push Back 
Pentagon Signals Reduced U.S. Role in Deterring North Korea as South Korea Takes Lead 
Ukraine-Russia Peace Talks in Abu Dhabi Stall as Energy Crisis Deepens 
Trump Pushes Back on 401(k) Homebuyer Plan Amid Housing Affordability Debate 
U.S. Lawmakers Demand Scrutiny of TikTok-ByteDance Deal Amid National Security Concerns 
Federal Judge Rules Trump Administration Unlawfully Halted EV Charger Funding 
Trump Explains Bruised Hand, Cites High Aspirin Intake During Davos Trip 
United States Officially Exits World Health Organization, Raising Global Public Health Concerns 
Trump Calls for Prosecution of Jack Smith After Congressional Testimony 
Colombia Suspends Electricity Exports to Ecuador as Trade and Security Dispute Escalates 
Now-former President Donald Trump did not reach a favorable conclusion to his talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un back in February 2019. However, before the two leaders would part ways, Trump offered Kim a ride back to North Korea on Air Force One.
In the BBC program “Trump Takes On the World,” Trump administration National Security Council Asia expert Matthew Pottinger revealed that the then-Commander in chief made an unusual offer towards the North Korean dictator. Back in February 2019, during the Hanoi Summit where Trump and Kim would discuss North Korea’s nuclear program, Pottinger revealed that Trump offered to give Kim a ride back to Pyongyang via Air Force One. The offer came when Trump found out that Kim traveled to Hanoi by train through China.
“President Trump offered Kim a lift home on Air Force One,” said Pottinger. “The president knew that Kim had arrived on a multi-day train ride through China into Hanoi and the president said ‘I can get you home in two hours if you want.’ Kim declined.”
This moment was also written about by journalist Bob Woodward in his book, “Rage,” about the now-former president. Woodward obtained 27 letters Trump and Kim wrote each other and revealed that they had established a friendship but it remains to be seen if the friendship is genuine or not. Woodward noted that the letters Trump and Kim wrote each other were very personal in tone rather than sounding like a standard diplomat.
Relations with China under Trump’s administration have been severely strained. This is what Chinese state councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi noted when he blasted the Trump administration for damaging relations with China. Wang also called on Joe Biden to reopen the dialogue in re-establishing bilateral relations between the US and China, saying that the Trump administration’s actions to suppress and contain the Communist nation was doing more harm than good. Wang also urged the US to remove the tariffs placed on Chinese goods and lift the suppression imposed on the country’s tech sector.
“Over the past few years, the United States basically cut off bilateral dialogue at all levels,” said Wang. “We stand ready to have candid communication with the US aide and engage in dialogues aimed at solving problems.”
