U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed disappointment in Russian leader Vladimir Putin but insists he hasn’t given up on efforts to broker peace in Ukraine.

In an exclusive 20-minute phone interview with the BBC, Trump said he "trusts almost no one" when asked directly whether he trusts the Kremlin.

The call followed discussions for a potential sit-down interview marking one year since the assassination attempt on Trump during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Reflecting on that day, Trump said he avoids thinking about it too much, admitting, “Dwelling on it could be life changing.”

The president made the remarks shortly after meeting NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the White House. He reiterated support for the military alliance, a major shift from his previous stance where he called NATO "obsolete." Now, Trump says the bloc is “no longer obsolete” as members “are paying their own bills.”

Addressing the war in Ukraine, Trump revealed he had believed peace with Russia was near on multiple occasions, only for fresh escalations to follow. “I’ll think we’re close,” he said, “then Putin knocks down a building in Kyiv.”

When asked if he was done with the Russian president, Trump replied, “I’m disappointed in him, but I’m not done with him.”

The U.S. president, who recently announced weapons support to Ukraine and threatened severe tariffs on Russia if a ceasefire isn’t reached within 50 days, said diplomatic efforts were ongoing.

Trump also took time to praise NATO’s principle of collective defense, noting it helps smaller nations protect themselves against larger threats.

He then turned to foreign policy, saying that world leaders including those in Germany, France, and Spain now respect him, especially after being elected president twice. Asked if their admiration ever felt exaggerated, Trump responded, “They’re just trying to be nice.”

On the UK’s global role, Trump was warm. He noted his personal connection to Britain “you know I own property there” and voiced support for Prime Minister Keir Starmer, despite their ideological differences. “I really like the prime minister a lot, even though he’s a liberal,” he said.

He praised the UK-US trade deal and confirmed an upcoming second state visit to the UK in September. Asked what he hoped to achieve, Trump said: “Have a good time and respect King Charles, because he’s a great gentleman.”

He dismissed concern over King Charles’s recent comments on Canadian sovereignty, made after Trump joked about annexing the country. “What’s he gonna do? He has no choice,” Trump said, though he added the monarch had handled it well.

Domestically, Trump claimed significant success on immigration, touting record-low illegal border crossings in his second term. His administration is now focused on detaining and deporting undocumented migrants.

He declined to give deportation targets but emphasized a focus on removing criminals swiftly. “We’re bringing them to El Salvador, lots of other places,” he added, referencing a controversial policy of deporting alleged gang members to Central America.

Trump also cited a string of legal wins after appeals courts overturned rulings against parts of his immigration agenda.

Highlighting his economic achievements, Trump praised his sweeping tax and spending legislation, calling it “one big, beautiful bill” that extends his 2017 tax cuts, includes new deductions for tips, and slashes Medicaid spending.

Pressed on how he wants to be remembered, Trump replied simply: “Saving America.”

“I think America is now a great country,” he concluded. “It was a dead country one year ago.”