Donald Trump arrives in Singapore for historic summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un

'The entire world is watching,' says North's ruler

Donald Trump has arrived in Singapore ahead of a much-anticipated meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

The US President travelled from Canada, where he attended a meeting of the Group of Seven Nations, and landed at 8.21pm on Sunday evening at the island city-state’s Paya Lebar Air Base.

The president hopes to negotiate a legacy-making deal with the North to give up their nuclear weapons on his visit to Singapore.

A meeting with Mr Kim, which is scheduled for 9am Tuesday, will be the first summit of its kind between a leader of North Korea and a sitting US president. The North has faced crippling diplomatic and economic sanctions as it has advanced development of its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.

Hours before Mr Trump’s arrival in Singapore, Mr Kim touched down in the country and was photographed shaking hands with the host nation’s foreign minister.

Mr Kim was then seen speeding through the city’s streets in a limousine which was adorned with two large North Korean flags and surrounded by other black vehicles with tinted windows.

At a meeting with Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Mr Kim said via a translator: “The entire world is watching the historic summit between [North Korea] and the United States of America, and thanks to your sincere efforts ... we were able to complete the preparations for the historic summit.”

Mr Trump is set to meet with Mr Lee on Monday.

Many US experts believe the North is on the brink of being able to reach the entire US mainland with its nuclear-armed missiles. While there is deep scepticism Mr Kim will abandon his nuclear programme, there is also hope that diplomacy can replace the animosity between the US and the North.

Mr Trump has in recent days sought to manage expectations of the much-anticipated meeting by presenting it as an introductory session. He has also raised the possibility of further summits.

He has also dangled the possibility of an agreement ending the Korean War by replacing the armistice signed in 1953 with a peace treaty. China and South Korea would have to sign off on any legal treaty.

Pyongyang has said it is willing to dispose of its entire nuclear arsenal if the United States provides it with a reliable security assurance and other benefits. Yet, experts have said this is highly unlikely, given how hard it has been for Mr Kim to build his nuclear and ballistic weapons programmes. The weapons are seen as his main guarantee of holding onto his unchecked power.

It is unclear what Mr Trump and Mr Kim might decide on Tuesday.

Associated Press contributed to this report