Sputnik News- US President Donald Trump has commented on several issues, including the North Korean crisis, the NAFTA agreement and the influence of Chinese President Xi Jinping, during an interview with Fox News.




US President Donald Trump said on�Sunday that the United States was prepared for�any course of�events with�regard to�the development of�the North Korean crisis.
"We're prepared for�anything. We are so prepared like�you wouldn't believe. You would be shocked to�see how totally prepared we are, if we need to�be," Trump said in�an interview with�Fox News Channel.


Presumably speaking about�a military solution to�the North Korean crisis, Trump said it would be better to�avoid a military conflict.

The president also praised China�s actions regarding North Korea.
"They�re closing off�their banking systems to�North Korea, they have cut the oil way down. � With respect to�North Korea, 93 percent of�things going into�North Korea come through�China. China is big stuff," Trump said.


Following Trump's calls on�Beijing to�cut trade with�North Korea in�order to�settle the situation, China introduced�a full ban on�imports�of�coal, iron, iron ore, lead, lead ore and seafood from�North Korea.�The Chinese Ministry of�Commerce said in�September that the country's imports from�North Korea went down�by 16.3 percent year-on-year in�January-July 2017.
The situation on�the Korean Peninsula has escalated over�the past�few months due to�Pyongyang's repeated missile launches and a nuclear test, all conducted in�violation of�the UN Security Council resolutions. In September, the UN Security Council adopted its�toughest resolutionagainst�Pyongyang, restricting oil exports and banning imports of�textile products from�the Asian nation, as�well as�the country's access to�gas liquids.The tensions in�particular led to�an�exchange of�threats�between�Washington and Pyongyang, with�Trump threatening to�take a "devastating" military option and "totally destroy" North Korea if forced to�defend the United States, and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un warning Washington of�the "highest level of�hard-line countermeasures in�history."

In June, a "double freeze"�scenario�was proposed by�China and backed by�Russia, in�which North Korea ceases its nuclear missile tests, while US-South Korean military drills are simultaneously halted. The initiative was rejected by�Washington.

On Chinese President Xi Jinping's Influence

According to�the US president, the influence of�Chinese President Xi Jinping might increase following�the 19th National Congress of�the Communist Party of�China (CPC).
"I have developed a very good relationship with�President�Xi. President Xi is right now going through�his congress and it is going to�be something very soon, it is going to�happen, that gives him something that few leaders of�China have ever had and I�m really good with�that. And to�be honest, when I told him this I want to�keep things very low-key until�such times he gets that, I want him to�get that, I think he deserves that. He�s a good man," Trump said in�an interview with�Fox News Channel.


Xi is the seventh president of�the People's Republic of�China; he assumed office in�2013. He has also been the General Secretary of�the CPC Central Committee since�2012. Xi has been on�numerous occasions selected as�one of�the world's�most influential people�by�such outlets as�Forbes, Time and The Economist.

The 19th National Congress of�the CPC�kicked off�on Wednesday�and will last for�a week. The party delegates at�the congressional meeting will elect the new leadership of�the Communist Party of�China, including the CPC Central Committee.

On Sanctions Against Iran

Trump said that the United States didn't need the European Union's support for�the possible strengthening of�sanctions against�Iran.
"Honestly, I told them [the Europeans], they are friends of�mine, they really are, I get along�with all of�them, whether it's [French President] Emmanuel [Macron] or whether it's [German Chancellor] Angela [Merkel] � I really like�those people, I told them 'Just keep making money, do not worry about�it, we do not need you on�this,'" Trump said in�an interview with�the Fox news broadcaster.


According to�Trump, "When Iran buys things from�Germany and from�France � [it's] billions of�dollars."

The approach of�the current US leader contradicts the position of�his predecessor Barack Obama, who believed that unilateral sanctions without�the participation of�the European Union and other major players were often ineffective and unprofitable for�the United States.

On October 13, Trump stated that the White House would work with�Congress on "serious flaws" pertaining to�the Iran nuclear deal, also known as�the Joint Comprehensive Plan of�Action (JCPOA), concluded on�July 14, 2015. He refused to�officially confirm to�Congress Iran's compliance with�the�JCPOA.

The move prompted criticism from�other�members of�the P5+1 group�that brokered the historic deal in�2015, who had yet again stated that they believe Iran was in�compliance with�the nuclear deal.

On NAFTA Deal

US President Donald Trump has reiterated that the United States is ready to�withdraw from�the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) if the deal is not renegotiated in�a way for�Washington to�get more favorable conditions.

Trump has repeatedly criticized NAFTA as�disadvantageous for�the United States and initiated the process of�renegotiating the deal. Canada and Mexico have already�rejected US demands�for�changes affecting several provisions of�the agreement.

Earlier this year,�Mexico�s Economy Minister�Ildefonso Guajardo said that the potential revision or dissolution of�the NAFTA agreement could spell trouble for�global free trade.

Concerned business representatives also called on�Donald Trump to�keep the trade deal�in�place and only slightly modernize the existing agreements.

Earlier in�October, the United States,�Canada�and Mexico decided to�extend the NAFTA negotiations into�next year beyond�the original deadline of�December 31. The next round�of talks is set to�take place�in�November 17-21 in�Mexico.