The launches followed Trump’s impromptu meeting with Kim at the inter-Korean border on June 30, during which the two agreed to restart working-level talks on dismantling the North’s nuclear weapons program. The last time North Korea launched short-range missiles in May, Trump also downplayed them in an apparent effort to keep the diplomatic process alive.

For Trump, his engagement with North Korea, and its suspension of nuclear and long-range missile tests has been one of his major foreign policy achievements ahead of his 2020 reelection bid. Still, Trump appeared to warn the North against making further provocations. “I think with North Korea, we’ve been doing very well, but that doesn’t mean that’s going to continue,” he said in the interview. “We’ll see what happens, but I think what you said might be somewhat of an understatement,” he said, referring to the interviewer’s comments that he believes the U.S. military will respond strongly if pushed by either North Korea or Iran.