Trump says he's 'disappointed' in Putin, but 'not done with him'

President Trump said he is “disappointed” in Russian President Vladimir Putin after threatening Moscow with sanctions over its war with Ukraine, but added that he is not “done with him.” 

"I'm disappointed in him, but I'm not done with him. But I'm disappointed in him,” Trump said in an interview with the BBC that was published Tuesday morning. 

Trump’s comments came after the president announced he forged a deal with NATO to send more weapons, including Patriot missile systems, to Ukraine, while also warning of “severe” tariffs on Russia’s trading partners if a ceasefire deal is not reached within 50 days. 

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday that Trump’s remarks are “very serious.”  

“Some of them are addressed personally to President Putin,” Peskov said. "We certainly need time to analyse what was said in Washington. And if and when President Putin deems it necessary, he will definitely comment."

When asked by the BBC if he trusts Putin, Trump said: “I trust almost no one.”

Under the new agreement, weapons for Ukraine would be sourced from NATO allies in Europe, nations that have recently pledged during the alliance's summit to invest more in defense spending. 

Trump has in recent weeks ratcheted up his rhetoric against Putin, saying the Russian leader has not been making progress on getting to a ceasefire in the Eastern European war that has lasted for over three years. 

“I always hang up and say …‘Well that was a nice phone call,’ and then missiles launch into Kyiv or some other city,” Trump said on Monday during an Oval Office meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. “That happens three or four times, you realize the talk doesn’t mean anything.”

Trump offered similar insight during his phone call with the BBC. 

"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,” the president told the news outlet. 

Russia has continued its military strikes in Ukraine in recent weeks, firing record-breaking drone attacks on various cities, including the capital Kyiv, earlier this month.