WASHINGTON — The head of the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog is backing President Donald Trump’s effort to reopen direct talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, saying a new meeting between the two leaders could be an important step toward addressing Pyongyang’s expanding nuclear program.
Rafael Mariano Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said in an interview with The Washington Post that another Trump-Kim meeting would be significant. His support comes as the U.S. president seeks to revive the personal diplomacy that produced three meetings with Kim during Trump’s first term.
Trump has recently indicated that he wants to meet Kim again during a planned Asia trip. The president has emphasized his personal relationship with the North Korean leader, arguing that maintaining communication could help prevent tensions from escalating.
The renewed diplomatic push comes at a difficult moment. North Korea has continued expanding its nuclear capabilities, while Pyongyang has shown little willingness to return to negotiations based on Washington’s traditional demand for complete denuclearization.
IAEA warns of growing nuclear capability
Grossi’s endorsement carries particular weight because the IAEA has closely monitored North Korea’s nuclear activities for years.
The agency has repeatedly warned that Pyongyang continues to develop its ability to produce nuclear material and expand its weapons program. Recent assessments indicate that North Korea has made significant progress in uranium enrichment and other parts of its nuclear infrastructure.
The IAEA chief has previously described the growth of North Korea’s nuclear program as a serious concern. The agency does not currently have inspectors operating inside the country, making direct access and verification a major challenge for any future diplomatic agreement.
Trump has also made unusually specific public comments about the size of North Korea’s nuclear arsenal, saying the country has 57 powerful nuclear weapons. Experts have questioned the precision of that figure, noting that intelligence estimates of nuclear arsenals are generally expressed as ranges rather than exact numbers.
Trump seeks to revive personal diplomacy
Trump and Kim held historic meetings in Singapore in 2018 and Hanoi in 2019, followed by a brief encounter at the Korean Demilitarized Zone.
The diplomacy ultimately failed to produce a lasting agreement. The Hanoi summit ended without a deal after the two sides disagreed over sanctions relief and the scope of North Korea’s nuclear concessions.
Trump now appears willing to try again.
His administration has recently reduced the scale of some U.S.-South Korean military exercises, a move intended in part to reduce tensions with Pyongyang. North Korea, however, has responded cautiously and has continued to demand major changes in U.S. policy.
Pyongyang has also increasingly insisted that the United States accept North Korea as a nuclear-armed state rather than making denuclearization the central condition for talks.
A difficult diplomatic road ahead
A new summit could therefore look very different from the 2018 negotiations.
North Korea’s nuclear arsenal and production capabilities have grown since Trump and Kim last met. Analysts say Pyongyang may now seek recognition of its nuclear status, sanctions relief and changes to the U.S.-South Korean security relationship in exchange for limited concessions.
That creates a difficult choice for Washington. Accepting North Korea as a nuclear power could undermine decades of U.S. policy, while insisting on complete denuclearization could make meaningful negotiations nearly impossible.
South Korea is also watching the renewed outreach closely. Seoul and Washington have reaffirmed their commitment to coordinating on North Korea even as Trump has sought a new opening with Kim.
Why Grossi’s support matters
Grossi’s backing reflects the nuclear risks surrounding any future Trump-Kim engagement.
For the IAEA, the central question is not simply whether the two leaders can restore dialogue. It is whether diplomacy can eventually create a mechanism for international inspectors to return to North Korea and establish reliable information about its nuclear facilities and weapons program.
A summit could provide an opening for those discussions, but experts caution that a meeting alone would not resolve the fundamental dispute.
Trump’s renewed outreach therefore faces two interconnected challenges: persuading Kim Jong Un to return to substantive negotiations and determining what kind of nuclear agreement remains possible after years of North Korean weapons development.
For now, the IAEA chief’s endorsement gives the proposed meeting an important international vote of confidence. But whether Washington and Pyongyang can turn another leader-level encounter into lasting nuclear diplomacy remains uncertain.
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