US President Donald Trump has said Ukraine will likely emerge from its war with Russia with a different territorial shape, expressing confidence that an agreement to end the conflict could be reached soon as Washington prepares for trilateral peace negotiations involving Moscow and Kyiv.

In an interview with CBS News' 60 Minutes aired on November 9, Trump said he believed the war would end soon, claiming that his involvement was the main reason the two sides were moving toward a settlement.

“I think we're going to have it done, and I think it's going to happen, and they're going to end up with a little bit different shape [for] Ukraine,” Trump told correspondent Ross Douthat.

The remarks came ahead of planned trilateral negotiations between the United States, Ukraine, and Russia in Abu Dhabi on November 10-11.

“There's a very important meeting taking place,” Trump said. “I believe that that war is going to end, and it's going to end soon. And the only reason it's going to end is because of me.”

Asked about the biggest obstacle to reaching a peace agreement, Trump pointed to the deep personal animosity between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“It was the hatred between Zelensky and Putin,” he said.

When Douthat noted that Zelenskyy's hostility toward Putin was understandable given Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Trump declined to elaborate, instead referring to what he described as disrespect shown to Russia during the leaders' first meeting.

Asked which leader he trusted more, Trump avoided choosing between the two, saying he maintained good relations with both.

“I'd rather not say, but I get along with both,” he said, adding that he did not believe Putin was deliberately misleading him in the negotiations.

The US president also addressed disruptions to Ukraine's Starlink and Starshield satellite communication systems, which reportedly affected Ukrainian military operations during October.

Trump said he did not know who was responsible for the restrictions and denied having any involvement in the decision.

“It wasn't me,” he said, adding that he had not been shown evidence confirming that the system had deliberately been restricted.

Ukraine relies heavily on SpaceX's Starlink satellite network and its military-oriented Starshield service for battlefield communications and coordination.

In October, speed restrictions reportedly imposed on Ukraine's Starshield systems disrupted military operations, including efforts to intercept Russian jet-powered drones. Although service was subsequently restored, responsibility for the restrictions has remained unclear.

Asked whether SpaceX founder Elon Musk had ordered the restrictions, Trump again said he could not identify who was responsible, but credited Musk with restoring the service.

“I can't tell you who turned it down,” Trump said. “I can tell you, ultimately, [Musk] turned it back up.”

Throughout the interview, Trump defended his approach to the war, portraying himself as tougher on Moscow than previous US presidents.

“There's been nobody that's been tougher on Russia than me,” he said, pointing to trade restrictions and sanctions imposed on the country.

However, when Douthat challenged that claim by referring to Trump's recent decision to grant a temporary waiver allowing certain Russian oil exports, the president defended the move as necessary to maintain global energy supplies.

Trump rejected the suggestion that the decision amounted to a concession to Moscow, arguing that it enabled additional oil and diesel supplies to reach international markets.

“I didn't do any big favor,” he said.

Trump also criticized the hundreds of billions of dollars in military and financial assistance provided to Ukraine under former President Joe Biden, arguing that Washington had received little in return.

He contrasted Biden's policy with his own approach of selling American weapons to European countries, which subsequently transfer them to Ukraine.

Trump acknowledged Ukraine's determination in using Western-supplied weapons but maintained that the United States should not have provided such extensive assistance without receiving compensation.

Douthat countered that military assistance provided during Biden's presidency had helped Ukraine defend its independence during the early stages of Russia's full-scale invasion.

“You haven't gotten it yet,” Trump replied. “You haven't gotten anything yet. Let's see how it all works out.”

The interview comes as diplomatic efforts intensify to end Russia's war against Ukraine, with the upcoming Abu Dhabi negotiations expected to test whether Washington can bring Moscow and Kyiv closer to an agreement. (ILKHA)