North Korea’s growing alignment with Russia is giving Kim Jong-un new diplomatic and economic latitude, analysts say, allowing him to harden his stance and making renewed talks with Donald Trump even less likely amid lingering distrust from their failed summit during the US president’s first term.
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Trump has signalled fresh interest in direct engagement with North Korea, with the White House confirming last week that “the president remains receptive to correspondence with Kim Jong-un” following reports that Trump had sent another letter to Pyongyang – which North Korean officials declined to accept.
But analysts say Kim is increasingly unwilling to risk another high-profile encounter, citing lingering scepticism after the collapse of the 2019 Hanoi summit, which damaged his domestic standing and deepened distrust of Washington’s intentions.
Instead, North Korea appears focused on strengthening its military capabilities and bolstering internal stability, while pursuing what Hong Min, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification, describes as “peaceful but cold coexistence” with South Korea.
“There is little possibility of the North returning to talks in the foreseeable future, as Washington has yet to present any concrete policy towards Pyongyang,” Hong told This Week in Asia.
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