Trump hails North Korea's 'awesome' potential ahead of talks with Kim

(REUTERS) U.S. President Donald Trump hailed North Korea’s “awesome” potential on Wednesday and said leader Kim Jong Un wanted to do something great, hours before they were due to meet in Vietnam to try to break a stalemate over the North’s nuclear weapons.

Despite little progress on his goal of ridding North Korea of its weapons programs, Trump appeared to be betting on his personal relationship with North Korea’s young leader, and the economic incentive after 70 years of hostility between their countries.

“Vietnam is thriving like few places on earth. North Korea would be the same, and very quickly, if it would denuclearize,” Trump said on Twitter, the morning after he arrived in Hanoi for a second summit with Kim.

“The potential is AWESOME, a great opportunity, like almost none other in history, for my friend Kim Jong Un. We will know fairly soon - Very Interesting!”

He later said he was looking forward to the talks with Kim.

“He wants to do something great,” he said.

Trump and Kim will meet at the Metropole hotel at 6:30 p.m. (1130 GMT) for a 20-minute, one-on-one chat followed by a dinner with aides, the White House said.

Trump would be accompanied by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney. Kim will be joined by his top envoy, Kim Yong Chol, and Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho