United States President Donald Trump on Thursday said US and North Korean officials are continuing to prepare for a scheduled diplomatic summit next month, even as Pyongyang threatened in recent days to pull out of what would be a historic first meeting between a North Korean leader and US president.

Trump also reassured Kim Jong Un the North Korean leader would remain in power if he abandons his nuclear weapons program, but warned Kim that North Korea could be "decimated" if he refuses to strike a deal with the US.

Trump's comments were his most extensive since North Korea dealt a blow to hope for a successful US-North Korea summit next month in a series of statements earlier this week.

"They've been negotiating like nothing happened," Trump said of North Korea.

While he has read news reports about the North Korean statements and spoken with the South Koreans, Trump said the North Koreans have yet to signal plans to cancel the summit. ‘‘If the meeting happens, it happens. And if it doesn't, we go on to the next step. We may have the meeting. We may not have the meeting. If we don't have it, that will be very interesting. ... We'll see what happens," Trump said.