United States president Donald Trump said on Monday that Japan will be able to shoot North Korean missiles “out of the sky” after buying billions of dollars worth of American military equipment. Directly linking trade and security issues, Mr Trump was speaking on the second day of his Asia visit followin
United States president Donald Trump said on Monday that Japan will be able to shoot North Korean missiles “out of the sky” after buying billions of dollars worth of American military equipment.
Directly linking trade and security issues, Mr Trump was speaking on the second day of his Asia visit following a summit in Tokyo with his ally and new best political friend Shinzo Abe, the Japanese prime minister.
In addition to repeating his mantra that the “era of strategic patience” with North Korea was over, Mr Trump also pressed Japan to lower its trade deficit with the US and purchase more of its sophisticated military hardware.
Referring to North Korean missiles, Mr Trump told reporters: “He (Abe) will shoot them out of the sky when he completes the purchase of lots of additional military equipment from the United States.
“The prime minister is going to be purchasing massive amounts of military equipment, as he should. And we make the best military equipment by far.”
In response, Mr Abe added that his country was currently capable of intercepting missiles from North Korea “if necessary” and confirmed that he was looking into a potential arms deal with his close military ally.
Mr Trump has made no secret of his hardline stance against North Korea due to its flagrant defiance of UN Security Council sanctions as it pursues its nuclear weapons and missile development programme.
Earlier in his Tokyo trip, Mr Trump reportedly expressed his disbelief that Japan had not tapped into its “samurai” spirit and shot down two North Korean missiles that flew over the country before landing in the Pacific Ocean earlier this year.
Meanwhile, Pyongyang was quick to respond to Mr Trump’s visit to Japan, with its state media accusing the US president earlier of driving tensions “to the extremes”, stating that “no one can predict when the lunatic old man of the White House, lost to senses, will start a nuclear war”.
