Putin Ally Pours Cold Water on Trump's Favorite Claim

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that former President Donald Trump's perceived simple resolution about ending the Russia-Ukraine war within "24 hours" is not realistic.

The conflict in Ukraine launched by Russia in February 2022 has resulted in hundreds of thousands of reported casualties on both sides, with a continuing stalemate likely to continue in the throes of another harsh winter. On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin, mistakenly or not, admitted to losing over 360,000 mobilized and volunteer soldiers in Ukraine. Meanwhile, the 71-year-old Putin announced another run for president last week, vying for a fifth term.

On the other side, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is facing domestic and international turmoil. As Russian soldiers continue to move in on the Donetsk town of Avdiivka, Kyiv's vying for additional weapons and support from Western allies continues to become hazier—notably from the United States, as Republicans in the House of Representatives are wary about additional dollars being sent.

In a one-on-one interview with NBC News on Friday, Peskov said that Putin would prefer a U.S. president who is "more constructive" toward Russia and understands the "importance of the dialogue."

He added that Putin would be ready to work with "anyone who will understand that from now on, you have to be more careful with Russia and you have to take into account its concerns."

While the Kremlin spokesperson and Putin ally did not mention the names of President Joe Biden or Trump, the latter of whom is the current GOP presidential frontrunner in 2024, Peskov alluded to Trump's past statements about how he could end the ongoing war in one day—calling such a swift resolution "too complicated."

In January, Trump said he could negotiate an end to the war in "24 hours" and warned about a nuclear war resulting from the continued fighting.

"IF I WERE PRESIDENT, THE RUSSIA/UKRAINE WAR WOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED, BUT EVEN NOW, IF PRESIDENT, I WOULD BE ABLE TO NEGOTIATE AN END TO THIS HORRIBLE AND RAPIDLY ESCALATING WAR WITHIN 24 HOURS," the former president wrote on Truth Social, his social media platform. "SUCH A TRAGIC WASTE OF HUMAN LIFE!!!"

He added: "FIRST COME THE TANKS, THEN COME THE NUKES. Get this crazy war ended, NOW. So easy to do!"

Newsweek reached out to the Trump campaign and White House via email for comment.

On Thursday, Putin reiterated that his country has no plans to discontinue fighting and has put the onus on Ukraine.

"The peace will come when we reach our goals that you have mentioned," the Russian leader said while fielding questions from Russian media and the public. "And coming back to the goals, they remain unchanged. I will remind you it means denazification, demilitarization of Ukraine and its neutral status."

Zelensky has said that negotiations with Moscow cannot be discussed until all Russian-occupied territory is returned to Kyiv's control. Ukrainian leaders have also repeatedly denied accusations from Putin that the country is run by a Nazi regime.

Shortly after launching its invasion, Russia offered to end the fighting in Ukraine if Kyiv agreed to abandon its goal of joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), according to Kyiv officials familiar with the conversations. The Russian leader has previously blamed Western support for Ukraine's military on escalating the nearly 22-month war, and on Thursday blamed the West's influence on Kyiv's government for forcing Moscow into war.

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