Donald Trump's love-hate relationship with Kim Jong-un could plunge the world into a nuclear crisis in 2020, an expert has warned. Jeffrey Lewis, of the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in California, said North Korea will 'almost certainly' return to testing long-range weapons in the new year after a deadline imposed by Pyongyang on stalled negotiations expires.When that happens, Mr Lewis warned, Trump could take the snub personally, given that he previously described how he and Kim 'fell in love' during talks.Likening the two world leaders to 'children playing with toys', he said the prospect of an over-reaction by Trump 'scares the s*** out of me.' Speaking to Mail Online, he said: 'North Korea is going to resume missile testing next year, and I have no idea how Trump is going to respond to that. He could take it as a personal affront. 'I think he really has an emotional involvement in North Korea, he's talked about his relationship with Kim Jong-un in terms of 'love', and love and hate are very similar emotions.'It would be very easy for those feelings to curdle into a bitter resentment. 'I can't really see the situation getting out of hand unless there's some kind of emotional involvement, so that scares the s*** out of me.'His warning comes after a year which saw nuclear treaties abandoned, powerful new weapons unveiled, and renewed conflict between nuclear-armed neighbours.In October, the US tore up a key nuclear treaty with Russia which had barring the Cold War foes from developing medium-range nuclear weapons.Moscow has since warned that there is now not enough time to renegotiate another nuclear arms treaty - New START - which is due to expire in 2021.If that treaty is allowed to lapse, it would mark the first time since the Cold War that no missile caps have been in place on any world power.Meanwhile China unveiled a raft of new nuclear-capable missiles including the DF-41, believed by many to be the most powerful nuke ever created.Beijing has also showed off what it claims are hypersonic DF-17 nuclear missiles, which are impervious to current defences.It comes after Russia also bragged of developing similar missiles, dubbed Kinjal.Elsewhere, India and Pakistan - both nuclear-armed nations - have reignited an old feud over the state of Kashmir, after India revoked its autonomous status. The move prompted Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan to warn the UN of possible nuclear war.Likening the situation to the Cold War, Mr Lewis added: 'During the Cold War there was this real fear that nuclear weapons posed a fundamental threat, that nukes posed a threat to our survival, so the nuclear race couldn't just run and run.'It just feels to me like that's all over, that people don't feel that sense of concern anymore.'Almost nobody is talking about negotiating limits on these weapons, and there is no enthusiasm for discussing treaties.'Cold War leaders lived through the Second World War and were genuinely afraid of a nuclea
Donald Trump's love-hate relationship with Kim Jong-un could plunge the world into a nuclear crisis in 2020, an expert has warned. Jeffrey Lewis, of the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in California, said North Korea will 'almost certainly' return to testing long-range weapons in the new year after a deadline imposed by Pyongyang on stalled negotiations expires.When that happens, Mr Lewis warned, Trump could take the snub personally, given that he previously described how he and Kim 'fell in love' during talks.Likening the two world leaders to 'children playing with toys', he said the prospect of an over-reaction by Trump 'scares the s*** out of me.' Speaking to Mail Online, he said: 'North Korea is going to resume missile testing next year, and I have no idea how Trump is going to respond to that. He could take it as a personal affront. 'I think he really has an emotional involvement in North Korea, he's talked about his relationship with Kim Jong-un in terms of 'love', and love and hate are very similar emotions.'It would be very easy for those feelings to curdle into a bitter resentment. 'I can't really see the situation getting out of hand unless there's some kind of emotional involvement, so that scares the s*** out of me.'His warning comes after a year which saw nuclear treaties abandoned, powerful new weapons unveiled, and renewed conflict between nuclear-armed neighbours.In October, the US tore up a key nuclear treaty with Russia which had barring the Cold War foes from developing medium-range nuclear weapons.Moscow has since warned that there is now not enough time to renegotiate another nuclear arms treaty - New START - which is due to expire in 2021.If that treaty is allowed to lapse, it would mark the first time since the Cold War that no missile caps have been in place on any world power.Meanwhile China unveiled a raft of new nuclear-capable missiles including the DF-41, believed by many to be the most powerful nuke ever created.Beijing has also showed off what it claims are hypersonic DF-17 nuclear missiles, which are impervious to current defences.It comes after Russia also bragged of developing similar missiles, dubbed Kinjal.Elsewhere, India and Pakistan - both nuclear-armed nations - have reignited an old feud over the state of Kashmir, after India revoked its autonomous status. The move prompted Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan to warn the UN of possible nuclear war.Likening the situation to the Cold War, Mr Lewis added: 'During the Cold War there was this real fear that nuclear weapons posed a fundamental threat, that nukes posed a threat to our survival, so the nuclear race couldn't just run and run.'It just feels to me like that's all over, that people don't feel that sense of concern anymore.'Almost nobody is talking about negotiating limits on these weapons, and there is no enthusiasm for discussing treaties.'Cold War leaders lived through the Second World War and were genuinely afraid of a nuclea
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