Trump: Putin dreams of controlling all of Ukraine, but he won't do it because of me

US President Donald Trump stated during an interview with ABC that he believes Vladimir Putin wants to end the war with Ukraine, while admitting that it is "possible" that the Russian president "could support" him in the ongoing peace negotiations.

Trump said he believes Putin "would like to stop the war," adding, "Yes, I think he would. His dream was to take control of the whole country. I think because of me, he's not going to do that."

However, when asked by ABC's Terry Moran whether he trusts the Russian president, Trump hesitated on the issue, the Telegraph reports.

"I don't trust you. I don't trust a lot of people. But I think he, let's say he respects me, and I believe that because of me, he's not going to take control of all of Ukraine, but his decision, his choice, would be to take control of all of Ukraine," Trump said.

On Saturday, after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky before the start of Pope Francis' funeral, Trump questioned whether Putin wants a peace deal.

In a post on Truth Social sent while returning from Rome after the meeting, Trump raised the possibility of implementing new sanctions on Russia following its attack on Kiev last week, writing that Putin's aerial bombardment of Kiev "makes me think maybe he doesn't want to stop the war."

In an interview with ABC News on Tuesday, Trump detailed Saturday's meeting with Zelensky, telling Moran: "The moment was a moment of comfort, in a way, because an incredible number of people are dying, a lot of his people are dying, being killed, and I feel very bad about that."