Trump: Putin Dreams of Conquering Ukraine, ‘But Because of Me, He Won’t’

Just 24 hours after stating that Putin might not seek peace in Ukraine, U.S. President Trump now suggests that the Russian counterpart may desire a peace agreement. During an interview with ABC News on Tuesday (April 29, 2025), marking his first 100 days in office, Trump responded to whether he believes Vladimir Putin wants a peace deal in Ukraine by saying, “I think so.” However, he added, “His dream was to take over the entire country, but because of me, he won’t.” When pressed about his trust in Putin, Trump replied, “I don’t trust many people.” Just last Saturday, the Republican expressed doubts about Putin’s intentions following missile attacks on Ukrainian cities resulting in civilian casualties. “There was no reason for Putin to launch missiles at civilian zones, cities, and villages recently. This makes me believe he might not intend to stop the war, pretending otherwise to me,” Trump stated via Truth Social. Reiterating during Tuesday’s interview, he mentioned being unhappy upon seeing Putin attack certain cities. The president, who promised pre-election to resolve the conflict within 24 hours, urges both Kyiv and Moscow to agree on a ceasefire followed by a peace treaty, three years into the war causing hundreds of thousands of deaths, both military and civilian. Since returning to power in January, Trump has initiated a dramatic process of rapprochement with Russia and Putin without securing significant concessions from the Kremlin. Meanwhile, Putin announced a unilateral ceasefire lasting three days, from May 8th to May 10th, coinciding with celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of victory over Nazi Germany. In response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned it as an attempt at manipulation.