North Korea’s UN ambassador: Denuclearization is off the table

North Korea’s ambassador to the United Nations said Saturday that denuclearization talks with the U.S. are off the table.

“We do not need to have lengthy talks with the US now and the denuclearization is already gone out of the negotiation table,” the ambassador, Kim Song, said in a statement, according to CNN. 

Kim added that the “sustained and substantial dialogue” pursued by the U.S. was just a “time-saving trick” meant to benefit a “domestic political agenda.”

The comments come as the end-of-the-year deadline set by North Korea for nuclear negotiations nears. A North Korean official this week also warned that the U.S. would choose what “Christmas gift” it wants from Pyongyang. 

Asked about North Korea, President Trump said Saturday that he would be surprised if North Korea acted with hostility. 

“I have a very good relationship with [North Korean leader] Kim Jong Un,” Trump said. “I think we both want to keep it that way. He knows I have an election coming up. I don’t think he wants to interfere with that.”

“He’s somebody I’ve gotten along with very well for three years,” he added. 

According to Reuters, Kim has said he could possibly take a “new path” next year, sparking fears that Pyongyang could resume nuclear bomb and long-range missile testing.