U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that he expects to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at some point this year. 

North Korea's proposal for talks at the end of this month and Trump's latest remarks have raised the possibility of a third North Korea-U.S. summit within the year.

Trump's remark also comes just two days after he fired his hawkish national security adviser John Bolton which also raised hopes for a quick resumption of denuclearization talks.

Ahead of the U.S. presidential election in November of 2020, Trump may be in a hurry to gain political points. 

With Bolton gone, pundits say Trump may spur momentum for resuming talks with Pyongyang which have been stalled since he met with Kim Jong-un for their second summit in Vietnam in February.