Donald Trump announces plan to meet Kim Jong Un before the end of the year

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on August 19, 2026, that he intends to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un before the end of the year. The announcement was made while Trump was visiting construction works at the White House. During his remarks, the President claimed that North Korea possesses 57 "very powerful" nuclear weapons, stating that such an outcome should not have been allowed to happen under previous administrations. Trump emphasized his positive personal relationship with Kim Jong Un, noting that he believes everything will work out well.

The U.S. President has recently ordered Pentagon officials to reduce the scale of U.S. military participation in annual joint drills with South Korea, citing his rapport with the North Korean leader. These comments have sparked discrepancies regarding intelligence estimates; while Trump cited a figure of 57 weapons, South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back stated on August 20 that Seoul estimates the number to be between 80 and 120, noting that exact figures are difficult to verify. Previous estimates from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute in June suggested a stockpile of approximately 60 warheads.