Donald Trump has a message for anyone wondering why North Korea can possess nuclear weapons while the US opposes Iran acquiring them: he believes his personal
relationship with Kim Jong Un makes the difference. Asked at the White House why Iran should not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons when North Korea already has them, Trump pointed to previous US administrations and his relationship with the North Korean leader. “Because you had a different president,” Trump said. He then described Kim as a friend and claimed the North Korean leader “likes Trump”. Trump went further, acknowledging that Kim has a substantial nuclear capability. “He does have a nuclear capacity, a large nuclear, pretty large nuclear capacity, not like us, but he has a nuclear capacity,” Trump said.
Trump explained why North Korea may have nuclear weapons while Iran may not
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) September 30, 2026
“He (Kim Jong Un) is my friend. He likes Trump,” the US president said. pic.twitter.com/mXNgzVltv7
He argued that previous presidents could have stopped North Korea from developing those capabilities and said that, as long as he remains in office, Kim “is going to be fine” because the North Korean leader respects and likes him. The comments put Trump's long-standing personal diplomacy with Kim back in focus — at a time when North Korea's military relationship with Russia has become significantly deeper.
From nuclear weapons to troops for Russia
Trump's remarks came just a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed that North Korea was preparing another 10,000 troops for deployment to Russia. Zelenskyy said more than 8,000 North Korean troops are currently in Russia and that another 10,000 are being selected and trained for deployment. Reuters reported the claim on September 29, while South Korean officials have separately confirmed that North Korean personnel have been operating alongside Russian forces.
The scale of North Korea's military involvement in the Ukraine war has become one of the most significant changes in Pyongyang's external security partnerships. North Korea has also supplied Russia with weapons and ammunition, while Moscow has provided military and technological assistance to Pyongyang, according to Ukrainian and South Korean assessments.
That relationship has developed alongside North Korea's continued expansion of its own military capabilities. Pyongyang has conducted six nuclear tests and developed ballistic missiles intended to provide increasingly sophisticated delivery options. Its growing cooperation with Russia has also raised concerns in Washington and Seoul over the military technology North Korea could obtain in return for supporting Moscow.
Trump wants Kim back at the table
Despite those developments, Trump has continued to speak positively about his relationship with Kim. The two leaders held three meetings during Trump's first term — in Singapore in 2018, Hanoi in 2019 and at the inter-Korean border later that year. Those talks ultimately failed to produce a nuclear agreement, and negotiations collapsed after the Hanoi summit.
Trump has nevertheless repeatedly said he expects to meet Kim again. In August, he said he expected another meeting with the North Korean leader this year. US media reports have suggested that Trump's planned trip to China for the APEC summit in Shenzhen in November could provide an opportunity for renewed contact, although no meeting has been formally announced by Washington or Pyongyang.
Trump's latest comments suggest that he still sees his personal connection with Kim as a diplomatic asset. North Korea, however, has not matched that enthusiasm with a formal return to negotiations. Kim's sister, Kim Yo Jong, recently rejected Trump's claim that the two sides were communicating, while saying that Kim retained “fond personal memories and feelings” towards the US president.
That leaves the central contradiction unresolved: Trump says his relationship with Kim gives him influence, while North Korea continues to expand its nuclear capabilities and deepen its military partnership with Russia.
