I think I partially interpreted it that way, but I think I also interpreted it as him wanting to have that control so he could ensure the cycle stays broken. Or something. Again, I need to watch it again. I just know I interpreted the scene through the lens of his motivations throughout the 70ish hours of my gameplay beforehand rather than have those few seconds change my opinion of his motivations throughout the entire game. I guess we may see in Lightning Returns why he did what he did.