US President Donald Trump said Friday that he finds it "easier" to deal with Russia than with Ukraine in efforts to end the war in the pro-Western country -- and that he trusts Vladimir Putin.

"I believe him," he said in a televised press conference at the White House.

"I'm finding it more difficult frankly to deal with Ukraine and they don't have the cards," he said. "It may be easier dealing with Russia."

Trump has pushed Ukraine hard, as it struggles to fend off Russian invasion after three years of war, and has ordered a pause in US military and intelligence assistance to Kyiv in order to apply more pressure.

Despite threatening new sanctions on Russia earlier Friday, Trump said he understood why Putin's forces had inflicted a massive bombing campaign across Ukraine overnight.

"I actually think he’s doing what anybody in that position would be doing that right now," Trump said.

"I've always had a good relationship with Putin. And you know, he wants to end the war," he said.

"I think he's going to be more generous than he has to be, and that's pretty good. That means a lot of good things."

He said Zelensky -- who has been pressing for Western security guarantees before he agrees to a ceasefire with Russia -- risks losing all US involvement.

"I don't know that they want to settle. If they don't want to settle, we're out of there because we want them to settle. I'm doing it to stop death," Trump said.