ROME (AP) — President Donald Trump said Saturday that he doubts Russia's Vladimir Putin wants to end his war in Ukraine, expressing new skepticism that a peace deal can be reached soon. Only a day earlier, Trump had said Ukraine and Russia were “ very close to a deal ."

Trump criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin for “shooting missiles into civilian areas” in a post on Truth Social Saturday morning, hours after he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Donald Trump has said he thinks Vladimir Putin might be taking him for a ride when it comes to ending the Ukraine war, which is into its third year. The questioning coincided with images surfacing of Trump engaging with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other key figures while at Pope Francis' funeral mass in St Peter's Square.