U.S. President Donald Trump ramped up his tough rhetoric against North Korea when he arrived in Japan on Sunday, saying that the United States and its allies are prepared to defend freedom and that “no dictator” should underestimate U.S. resolve, Reuters news agency reported.

“No dictator, no regime, no nation should ever underestimate American resolve,” Trump told hundreds of cheering U.S. and Japanese troops gathered at Yokota Air Base, just west of capital city Tokyo, soon after he arrived in Japan. “Every once in a while, in the past, they underestimated us. It was not pleasant for them, was it?”

He told reporters earlier on Air Force One en route to Asia that a decision would be made soon on whether to add North Korea to a list of state sponsors of terrorism, and that this country would figure prominently in discussions during the trip. 

Trump also said he planned to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin during his Asian trip.

“I think it’s expected that we will meet,” he said. “We want Putin’s help on North Korea.”