Donald Trump says Washington is 'a mean and deceptive place'

Donald Trump was an unconventional presidential candidate by all measures. So, it should not come as a surprise if the 45th president of the United States of America, who had no real political experience before he entered the White House, finds Washington not the same as his previous homes.

Although the president "loves" Washington, he has described the capital as a "mean and deceptive" place after spending a year at the White House.

In a 53-minute freewheeling interview with Reuters, Trump touched on a variety of topics including about his experience in Washington, whether he referred to Haiti and African nations as "shithole countries", his relations with Russia and the tensions related to North Korea.

"I love Washington, but it's a mean place, it's a very deceptive place," said Trump when asked what has he learnt by spending 12 months in the US capital.

Seated in the Oval Office with his favourite diet coke at a reachable distance, Trump startlingly had some tough words to say on Russia when dealing with North Korea matters. In a marked move away from his usual, the American leader criticised Moscow for filling in the geopolitical vacuum created by China's increasing estrangement with the reclusive Kim Jong-un regime.

"Russia is not helping us at all with North Korea. What China is helping us with, Russia is denting. In other words, Russia is making up for some of what China is doing," said Trump. Moscow is yet to respond to Trump's comments.

Just like he had done earlier, he sidestepped the question when asked whether he has spoken to the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un or not. However, the president said that he would be ready to do so but expressed his doubts whether the talks would provide the desired results in the Korean peninsula.

"I'd sit down, but I'm not sure that sitting down will solve the problem," said Trump adding that the standoff in the region could be resolved "in a peaceful way, but it's very possible that it can't".

Asked if the US forces require more anti-missile defence measures in place, Trump responded by saying: "Yes, yes I do. We're ordering more missile defence and we're ordering more missile offence also."

North Korean matters have taken the top priority in the American foreign policy since Trump took charge of the White House and the situation has gone only travelled downhill with few signs of improvement. In the past, Trump was engaged in a direct war of words with Kim trading even personal insults.