So much for falling “in love”: Kim Jong Un made it clear that the bromance he and felon-elect Donald Trump shared during his first term is over.
“We have already explored every possible avenue in negotiating with the U.S.,” the North Korean leader said Friday at a conference with army officials.
Kim—who has cozied up with fellow Russian dictator Vladimir Putin amid the ongoing Ukraine war—slammed the U.S.’s “unchanging aggressive and hostile policy,” citing the country’s support of Ukraine.
The North Korean dictator also denounced the U.S. for bolstering its anti-nuclear ties with South Korea and criticized a potential three-way relationship including Japan—which the island country’s new prime minister has dubbed “Asian NATO.”
In response, Kim insisted that his country’s best way to respond is to build the “strongest defense power that can overwhelm the enemy.”
This aggression from North Korea comes in stark contrast to Trump’s claims that Kim “misses” him.
“But, no, I got along with him,” Trump boasted in July, going on to incorrectly claim that he “stopped the missile launches” during his first term and that he would keep North Korea from “acting up” this time around.
However, Kim seems to be past the love letter phase of his and Trump’s relationship and has turned his affection toward Moscow.
With the Biden administration throwing support—and $4.7 billion worth of loan forgiveness—toward Ukraine, the two dictators are locking arms in response. Last week, Putin and Kim signed into law a groundbreaking treaty—first introduced in June—stating that if one of the countries are invaded, the other must provide military and other assistance. This does not bode well.
