U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday washed his hands of paying for any economic rewards or aid for North Korea if it denuclearizes. "I think South Korea will do it. I think China -- I think, frankly, China will help out. I think that Japan will help out. No, I don't think the United States is going to have to spend."

Trump was speaking after a meeting with Kim Yong-chol, the most senior North Korean official to visit the U.S. in almost 20 years.

Trump seemed to think that aid is somehow tied to geography but dictating the manner of denuclearization is not. "And, look, we're very far away," he said. "It's their neighborhood. We're thousands -- we're 6,000 miles away."

Since taking office last year, Trump has pursued an "America first" policy and warned the U.S. will no longer bear the short end of the stick in trade with other countries.

"I don't even want to use the term 'maximum pressure' anymore because I don't want to use that term because we're getting along," Trump added, referring to the U.S. strategy in bringing North Korea to heel. "At some point, hopefully, a deal -- for the good of millions of people, a deal will be worked out."