BY JULIA MUELLER
THE HILL
Former President Trump in a new interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity claimed he would “solve” Russia’s yearlong war in Ukraine in 24 hours if he’s reelected to the White House, but he didn’t offer details.
“If it’s not solved, I will have it solved in 24 hours with Zelensky and with Putin,” Trump told Hannity, referring to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“And there’s a very easy negotiation to take place. But I don’t want to tell you what it is because then I can’t use that negotiation; it’ll never work. But it’s a very easy negotiation to take place. I will have it solved within one day, a peace between them. Now that’s a year and a half. That’s a long time. I can’t imagine something not happening,” Trump added.
“The key is the war has to stop now because Ukraine is being obliterated.”
Russia’s war on Ukraine crossed its one-year mark last month, and Moscow has continued its attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure. The International Criminal Court has put out a warrant for Putin’s arrest in connection with alleged war crimes, including the forced deportation of Ukrainian children.
Putin said over the weekend that Russia plans to station tactical nuclear weapons in neighboring Belarus, a move condemned by the U.S. and NATO and called “nuclear blackmail” by Ukraine.
“So you’d prefer if you were president, you think you would have a negotiated settlement?” Hannity asked Trump.
“Within 24 hours,” the former president replied.
Trump also said he gets along “very well” with Putin.
Trump’s interview with Hannity comes as Fox News faces a defamation lawsuit stemming from its coverage of the former president’s false claims of widespread election fraud during the 2020 cycle.
Trump announced his 2024 bid for another four years in the White House after the midterms in November.
— Updated at 8:50 a.m.