Trump: US in "extremely high-level" talks with N.Korea - Reuters

As reported by Reuters, US President Donald Trump has announced that the US and North Korea have been talking directly, and are set to prepare a meeting between the two countries' leaders.

Key quotes:

"Trump made the comment as he and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe opened two days of talks at the president’s Mar-a-Lago retreat in Palm Beach, Florida."

"Trump said he believed there was a lot of good will in the diplomatic push, but also said it is possible the summit - first proposed in March and which the president said could take place in late May or early June - may not happen."

"Efforts to arrange an unprecedented meeting between U.S. and North Korean leaders have helped ease tensions over Pyongyang’s development of nuclear missiles capable of hitting the United States. Kim has agreed to discuss denuclearization, according to U.S. and South Korean officials."

"“We have had direct talks at very high levels – extremely high levels - with North Korea. I really believe there’s a lot of good will; a lot of good things are happening. We’ll see what happens. As I always say, we’ll see what happens, because ultimately it’s the end result that matters, not the fact that we’re thinking about having a meeting or having a meeting,” Trump said."

"Trump did not identify who on the U.S. side was talking to the North Koreans and senior U.S. officials would not comment."

"Japan fears Trump will try to link vital security matters with touchy trade topics. Tokyo is eager to avoid being pushed into talks on a two-way free trade agreement aimed not only at market access but at currency policies, something South Korea recently accepted when it renegotiated a trade deal with the United States. Another irritant on trade is that Japan has not been given an exemption to tariffs on steel and aluminum exports to the United States, unlike the European Union, Canada and Mexico."