Trump touts U.S.-Russian relations, says 'Deal will happen' with North Korea

President Donald Trump insisted Saturday that a nuclear weapons agreement with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un "will happen," in a morning Twitter burst that also included a post touting positive U.S.-Russia relations.

“Anything in this very interesting world is possible, but I believe that Kim Jong Un fully realizes the great economic potential of North Korea, & will do nothing to interfere or end it,” the president

Twitter

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The news of North Korea’s unexpected launch Saturday, reported by the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff, comes amid a new rift in the repressive government’s diplomatic relationship with the U.S.

Kim last week visited the Russian city of Vladivostok for a summit with President Vladimir Putin — who has sought recently to undermine American foreign policy in Venezuela by backing embattled President Nicolás Maduro. The Trump administration and several other western nations support efforts by opposition leader Juan Guaidó to oust the South American strongman.

The White House confirmed that Trump and Putin shared a phone conversation Friday that lasted more than an hour, as the two leaders discussed the volatile political situation in Venezuela and special counsel Robert Mueller's report on Russian interference in the 2016 election.

“Very good call yesterday with President Putin of Russia,” Trump

Twitter

Saturday, one of some 19 tweets or retweets posted by the president before 11 a.m. “Tremendous potential for a good/great relationship with Russia, despite what you read and see in the Fake News Media. Look how they have misled you on ‘Russia Collusion.’ The World can be a better and safer place. Nice!”

Trump

Twitter

glowingly of his personal rapport with Kim as recently as last month, writing online that a third summit with the despot “would be good” and

Twitter

that he anticipates the day North Korea becomes “one of the most successful nations” on Earth.

Trump's overture followed a report by North Korea's state-run media that Kim said he is open to another summit with his American counterpart. But if the U.S. "persists in its present political calculation method," Kim warned that "the prospect of settling the issues will gloomy and very dangerous."

Days later, North Korea’s government announced it had test-fired a new type of “tactical guided weapon,” and demanded that Trump remove Secretary of State Mike Pompeo from future nuclear negotiations.

Further complicating progress between Washington and Pyongyang, Trump has denied that his administration paid any money for the return of detainee Otto Warmbier following reports that North Korea issued a $2 million medical bill in exchange for his release.

Article originally published on POLITICO Magazine