Secretary of Defense James Mattis James Norman MattisBiden courts veterans amid fallout from Trump military controversies Trump says he wanted to take out Syria's Assad but Mattis opposed it Gary Cohn: 'I haven't made up my mind' on vote for president in November MORE on Sunday cautioned that it will be “a bumpy road” toward nuclear talks later this month with North Korea.

Mattis made the remarks during a meeting with his Japanese and South Korean counterparts, according to The Associated Press.

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“We can anticipate, at best, a bumpy road to the negotiations,” said Mattis, as reported by the AP.

“In this moment we are steadfastly committed to strengthening even further our defense cooperation as the best means for preserving the peace,” he added.

The comments come after President Trump Donald John TrumpBiden on Trump's refusal to commit to peaceful transfer of power: 'What country are we in?' Romney: 'Unthinkable and unacceptable' to not commit to peaceful transition of power Two Louisville police officers shot amid Breonna Taylor grand jury protests MORE said his June 12 summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is back on schedule, despite the president’s earlier plans to scrap the gathering.

“We’re going to be June 12 — we’ll be in Singapore. It’ll be a beginning,” Trump said Friday. “I think we’re going to have a very positive result in the end.”

Trump announced the cancellation of the summit, scheduled to take place in Singapore, at the end of May in a letter to Kim. But the president quickly expressed hope that the meeting between the two leaders could still happen.

South Korea's defense minister, Song Young-moo, during the meeting with Mattis on Sunday similarly urged caution, citing previous attempts to negotiate with North Korea over its nuclear program.



“Of course, given North Korea’s past, we must be cautious in approaching this,” said Song, according to the AP.