Search Results: we are not in an official relationship

My ex and I are from different countries (really different culture), and we had our relationship while we both were study aboard (another country). He broke up with me shortly after I left, saying that the future of us being together is too little. We agreed to stay friends until he also went back to his country and stopped contact me.
Some months later he contacted me again as he went back to where we met continuing his study. The "friendship" this time lasted for about a year. It began well but with time we started to had argument cause he felt I wasn't invested enough. Until once we had a huge fight, and we stopped our daily calls and so.
Two months later I contacted him and explained the "friendship" was stressing me out and the only way I could keep doing it is that we resume how we were, like an official couple.
We resumed contact and talked about the future. A month later he started to get busier with his work and we had little time to talk. I could feel that he was pulling away and later he told me we need to stop doing this as it will hurt more in the future as our chance of being together is really low.

Now, as much as I see how difficult it was to keep it going (none of us can quit what we're doing now, and leaving your friends/family and go to live in another country and be dreadful.), I still wonder if it's true that "Someone who really loves you will never let you go." Or really, sometimes, letting go is the best choice?