«He respects me»: Trump hints at his role in containing Putin

US President Donald Trump has said that Russian leader Vladimir Putin is probably seeking to end the war against Ukraine. At the same time, he believes that it was thanks to his election victory that Russia was unable to fully occupy Ukraine.

In an interview with ABC News and CNN, Donald Trump avoided a direct answer to the question of whether he trusts Vladimir Putin. Instead, he stressed that he does not trust many people in general, but believes that Putin respects him.

According to Donald Trump, this is what could have kept the Kremlin leader from a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

«If it wasn't for me, I think he would have wanted to take over the whole country. And thanks to me, I really believe that he is ready to stop fighting,» he stressed.

Donald Trump stressed that if it were not for his participation in the election, Putin would most likely have gained control over the entire territory of Ukraine. Earlier, in one of his posts, Trump criticised Russian attacks on Ukrainian civilian towns and suggested that Putin was only giving the impression that he wanted to stop the war, but was actually just being misleading.

Commenting on his brief meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Vatican, Trump noted the Ukrainian president's desire to work for the good of his country. He also noted that Zelenskyy had become calmer and more determined to find ways to peace.

As a reminder, during a meeting with US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, Russian leader Vladimir Putin reiterated his readiness to hold talks with Ukraine without preconditions.

It is worth noting that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that next week would be crucial in the negotiations to achieve peace in Ukraine.

According to Reuters, , after the latest rounds of talks, the White House and the State Department concluded that Vladimir Putin is actively resisting US attempts to conclude a lasting peace agreement. Washington is discussing possible economic and diplomatic measures that could force the Kremlin to make concessions.