North Korea accused the United States of pushing the Korean peninsula to “the brink of nuclear war,” after a pair of strategic bombers flew training drills with South Korean and Japanese air forces along the North Korean border on Monday.

According to South Korean Defense Ministry spokesman Moon Sang-gyun, the joint drill conducted was intended to “deter provocations” made by the North Korean government.  Kim Jong Un’s regime has repeatedly threatened preemptive nuclear strikes on targets in South Korea and Japan in recent months as they continue to hone their ability to launch nuclear capable ballistic missiles.

Despite the B-1B Lancer Bombers taking to the sky over the Korean peninsula, President Donald Trump provided a decidedly softer approach to North Korean relations this week, saying he’d be “honored” to meet with North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un under the right circumstances.

China’s posture regarding the North Korean nuclear threat has also shifted, as they continue to buck against the idea of cooperating with the United States, but nonetheless push publicly for the denuclearization of Kim’s regime.  Despite seeing eye to eye on that specific subject, how to go about bringing about such a conclusion to the current situation remains the subject of heated debate among military and political officials from each nation.