He wants us to be friends

We broke up a couple of weeks ago. ii told him I couldn’t give him what he needed which was more time. He wanted all of my attention and time and would often get upset that I was busy.

He has been sending messages which I have ignored. Messages like he is thinking about me, missing me etc He then sent a message saying that I must never have liked him as I’m not responding to his attempts to reach out to me.

He has asked if we can be friends as we have a lot of interests in common. He said he loves me as a friend, that we didn’t work as a couple because of the physical distance and he has tried really hard to make it work but he thinks that being friends will work for us and we can both make room to meet other people that are a better fit for us both. He needs someone that lives closer.

In one day he has gone from telling me he misses me deeply and he feels hurt deeply hurt and foolish that he tried so hard to make it work to asking if we can be see one another as friends.

He kept ringing me earlier in the day and I didn’t pick up, he sent a text telling me that he just wanted to hear my voice as he misses me…I didn”t pick up because the relationship just doesn’t work … what is this new angle that he is trying or does he really just want to be friends because he no longer has feelings for me? Telling me he loves me as a friend has confused me.