Donald Trump open to talks with North Korea

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump says he is willing to meet the North Korean leader to discuss Pyongyang's nuclear program, reports the BBC.

 

"I would speak to him, I would have no problem speaking to him," the businessman said of Kim Jong-un.

 

Such a meeting would mark a significant change of US policy towards the politically isolated regime.

 

Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton responded by decrying his "bizarre fascination with foreign strongmen".

 

The statement, from one of her aides, added that Mr Trump's foreign policy "made no sense".

 

In a separate development, the BBC has learned that Mr Trump could visit the UK before the presidential election in November.

 

Diplomats expect his visit to the UK could happen after he formally becomes the Republican party candidate at a convention in July.

 

Earlier this week Mr Trump said "it looks like we're not going to have a very good relationship" with the UK.

 

British Prime Minister David Cameron and new London Mayor Sadiq Khan have harshly criticized Mr Trump's proposed ban on Muslims coming to the US.

 

Mr Trump's comments about North Korea emerged in an interview with Reuters news agency on Tuesday, in which he also expressed disapproval of Russian President Vladimir Putin's military actions in eastern Ukraine.

 

Mr Putin is a figure who Mr Trump has previously said he respects.

 

On the subject of North Korea, the New York property developer said he would pursue face-to-face talks and added that he would also put pressure on China, as North Korea's only major ally.