Trump says he is 'disappointed but not done' with Putin

WASHINGTON

US President Donald Trump said he is "disappointed but not done" with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, BBC reported early Tuesday.

"I'm disappointed in him, but I'm not done with him. But I'm disappointed in him," Trump said in an exclusive phone call with the BBC when asked if he was done with Putin.

When pressed on whether he trusts Putin, Trump said: "I trust almost no one."

The interview came after Trump unveiled on Monday a harsher approach toward Russia over its war in Ukraine, pledging a new supply of missiles and advanced weaponry for Kyiv, and giving Moscow a 50-day deadline to agree to a ceasefire or face "very severe" secondary tariffs.

According to the report, Trump said that he had thought a deal was on the cards with Russia four different times.

The president said the US is "working" to end the ongoing war in Ukraine.

"We'll have a great conversation. I'll say: 'That's good, I'll think we're close to getting it done,' and then he'll knock down a building in Kyiv," he said, according to the report.

When asked whether he still thinks that NATO is "obsolete," Trump said: "No. I think NATO is now becoming the opposite of that" because the alliance was "paying their own bills."

Trump said he still believed in collective defense, as it allows smaller nations to protect themselves against more powerful adversaries.