'Hannity' on destruction and death across Ukraine

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Sen. Lindsey Graham claps back against criticism for Putin comments

South Carolina Republican defends his comments about Putin and explains how the world should respond to the Russian invasion on 'Hannity.'

This is a rush transcript of "Hannity" on March 4, 2022. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

SEAN HANNITY, FOX NEWS HOST: We start this Friday night with a lot of news, a FOX News alert.

Welcome to HANNITY.

Russia has now seized Europe's largest nuclear power plant in Ukraine after a brutal shelling last night. Thankfully, as of now, no radiation leaks are reported but this continues to remain a very serious, a very dangerous threat, as Vladimir Putin is showing no signs of stopping his brutal battle tactics and no signs of slowing down these terrifying war crimes.

We have full coverage all across Ukraine with our FOX team for the hour.

Also tonight, Senator Lindsey Graham is facing a backlash for remarks he made on this program last night. He will join us and he will react and respond to his critics.

But first tonight, explosive footage from journalists at Sky News coming under fire from Russian forces outside of Kyiv. Warning, viewer discretion is advised.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REPORTER: The government has warned for days of Russian saboteurs who've infiltrated the country to bring terror, death squads who are attacking civilians in their cars as they flee. They do exist as we found out.

(EXPLETIVE DELETED)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That was a bullet.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It wasn't. Something blew up under us.

(EXPLETIVE DELETED)

(GUNFIRE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Run! Run!

(EXPLETIVE DELETED)!

UNIDENTIFED MALE: Run! Stop!

(GUNFIRE)

(EXPLETIVE DELETED)!

REPORTER: We think it is a Ukrainian checkpoint and a mistake, so we identify ourselves.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: British journalists!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Journalists!

REPORTER: Somehow, we have to get out of this, but the rounds keep coming. It is a professional ambush. The bullets just don't miss.

(GUNFIRE)

(EXPLETIVE DELETED)!

(END VIDOE CLIP)

HANNITY: Now the camera operator took two rounds to this body armor, but thankfully the entire crew is expected to survive. We will have a lot more straight ahead.

Also tonight, Ukrainian people -- they're continuing to show incredible bravery, strength, perseverance as they fight for their lives and their country, amid an onslaught of attacks inflicted by the, well, megalomaniac, dictator, thug Vladimir Putin.

Now, the Pentagon press secretary today confirmed that the Ukrainians have at least temporarily stalled that 40-mile Russian convoy that has been a major concern of mine as I believe that if that convoy does make it to the capital Kyiv, it would likely be a massacre. I hope they stop it before it gets there. We're talking about tanks, missiles, munitions, fuel, the full power and might of Putin's armed forces.

And according to "The Wall Street Journal," Ukraine's special forces, they're now holding off a Russian offensive on Kyiv's front lines.

Now, get this: a new report finds that even Ukrainian church leaders, they are joining the fight against the Russians. But, of course, I continue to remain skeptical of reports suggesting that this Ukrainian insurgency is a success because this is likely to get a lot worse very fast.

For example, Senator Marco Rubio, he pointed out in a tweet tonight, quote, growing indications that Russia faces some kind of imminent supply crisis in Ukraine. If this is the case, we could see a dramatic escalation of attacks over the next 70 or the new 72 hours or next 72 hours.

Now, this continues to be a very scary situation all across what is a sovereign nation or once was of Ukraine. Take a look.

(VIDEO CLIP PLAYS)

HANNITY: Also developing tonight, Secretary of State Winken Blinken, along with NATO allies today rejected Ukraine's calls for a no-fly zone amid fears of sparking a much wider and more deadly conflict.

Okay, so they won't stop importing Russian oil and they won't even have a no-fly zone?

All right. Here with the latest from the Pentagon, our very own Jennifer Griffin.

Jennifer, what's the latest?

JENNIFER GRIFFIN, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Sean, we have new details about what is holding up that 40-mile Russian convoy that's been stuck for days north of the capital. As we discussed last night on your show, Ukrainian forces blew up this bridge at the front of the convoy, a U.S. defense official told me today that blowing up that bridge had a big impact on halting the convoy among other things.

A U.S. defense official overseeing the ongoing delivery of weapons to the Ukrainian military says that military aid to the Ukrainians has been flowing almost non-stop since February 26. Of the $350 million of U.S. military aid announced last Friday, $240 million of that which included anti-armor capabilities, those javelin missiles, has arrived in Ukraine. The rest should be there in the coming days.

Thousands of people took to the streets of the Czech Republic and other European capitals to listen to Ukrainian President Zelenskyy via satellite asked the people of Europe to demand their leaders change course after the shelling of that nuclear power plant last night. He demanded a no-fly zone and urged Europeans to take to the streets and say that you want to live, to live on earth without radioactive contamination.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (translated): Today, the alliance's leadership gave the green light for further bombing of Ukrainian cities by refusing to make a no-fly zone. You could close our sky. But I do not know who you can protect and whether you can protect NATO countries.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRIFFIIN: Neither the White House, Pentagon nor NATO thinks that a no-fly zone is a good idea right now because they say it would be risk expanding the war and could even lead to a nuclear war with Russia.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEN PSAKI, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: We have provided a range of security and military assistance including defensive assistance. We've recently provided helicopters.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRIFFIN: U.S. officials believe Russia is preparing an even worse bombardment of Ukraine's population centers in the coming days -- Sean.

HANNITY: Jennifer, do you have an update -- there are reports that there were three separate assassination attempts on President Zelenskyy. Do you have any more details as to what happened or have you been able to confirm that?

GRIFFIN: I haven't been able to confirm that. We do know that the Ukrainian president talked of that that Chechen hit squad that was sent to try and kill him, and we were told that the very elite unit was pushed back and Ukrainian special forces did a good job in terms of eliminating that threat. But I can't speak to the other two attempts on President Zelensky's life. But no doubt he's a marked man tonight, Sean.

HANNITY: Absolutely. Jennifer Griffin from the Pentagon tonight, thank you.

Now, unfortunately, also tonight, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, they're still refusing to face reality and they're doubling down on their failed Putin- friendly America last energy policies because tonight, there still are no sanctions on Russian oil. Now, that means our western European and NATO allies and the United States as of this very day are still importing energy from Russia.

That also means that the so-called tough banking sanctions that are in place are allowing the exception that Vladimir Putin and Russia continue to get the monies that could be funding this war because they have stipulations that he gets paid for the energy that they're buying.

I never saw such madness in my life. Still no action that is the one sanction that would matter the most. Remember, Putin is only able to carry this invasion out because of the west's reliance on Russian oil. This oil is Putin's lifeblood, and it is and has always been. And to me, it's just incomprehensible and frankly unconscionable that despite these terrifying war crimes that you see unfolding every day and night against men women and children, that the Biden administration continues to buy this thug's oil, especially when we have so many resources here at home.

It's sick, it's twisted, especially knowing that the extent of our resources in this country. We have more than Russia and the Middle East combined, and we can help out our friends in Europe as well if we mass produce energy.

Even Tesla CEO Elon Musk, he's a great innovator of electric cars. He tweeted out tonight: Hate to say it, but we need to increase oil and gas output immediately. Extraordinary times demand extraordinary measures.

Well, he's a thousand percent correct. That's coming from a guy that really perfected electric cars.

And, of course, Joey, by the way, hasn't gotten the memo and earlier today, he refused to take any questions on this serious situation before he limped off to Delaware as per usual for the weekend. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Thank you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: I guess Joe Biden Biden's going to put -- fund Putin's invasion, stand up to the far -- rather than stand up to the far left climate cult extremists in his own party, so Putin is making billions every day, selling energy to the U.S. and Western European and NATO countries, and we're enabling him to finance and wage this war.

And then by the way, we're committing billions of dollars to Ukraine to defend itself in this war. Can it get any more insane than that?

Now, Biden would rather buy Russian oil instead of building pipelines right here in the U.S., tap into our vast natural resources. They'd rather buy Iranian oil than drill right here in the U.S.? Because get this, the Biden administration is reportedly on the verge of appeasing the mullahs with another disastrous nuclear deal.

If you think things can't get worse, listen to this, including as part of that deal the possibility of buying oil from the Iranian mullahs, you know the same people that chant "death to America, death to Israel", threatened to blow Israel off the map, threaten to blow America off the map. You know, listen to failed transportation secretary that ever so experienced, a former failed mayor of South Bend, Pete Buttigieg, saying, oh, yeah, importing oil from Iran is on the table. You can't make this up.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEPHANIE RUHLE, MSNBC HOST: Could the president possibly consider authorizing the Keystone pipeline? Working something out with Iran?

PETE BUTTIGIEG, TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY: I mean, look, the president has said that all options are on the table, but we also need to make sure that we're not galloping after permanent solutions to immediate short-term problems where more strategic and tactical actions in the short term can make a difference.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: So, let's get this straight, we're importing Russian oil and now we're going to import Iranian oil. Election days in 2022, 2024, frankly, they cannot get here fast enough. Instead of opening up exploration, drilling on federal lands, that's the policy they should adopt, instead of sanctioning Russia and not buying their oil, instead of unleashing the power of the U.S. oil and gas sector -- well, we have all the energy we need right here.

We have the technology. We have the manpower. We have the resources. We have it all.

So why won't Biden cut off Putin? Why won't the West cut off Putin, make America energy independent once again, like he inherited from Donald Trump? We're putting billions and billions of dollars into Putin's coffers and the question is, why? It's insanity.

And frankly, the incompetence of the administration seems to know no bounds as they would even contemplate doing oil deals with the Iranian mullahs. As the White House, by the way, apparently thinks Vice President Harris is the answer, and now shipping her to Poland next week, despite her never-ending stream of embarrassments, bizarre blunders on this crisis, along with many other things.

In all seriousness, ask yourself, what exactly does anyone think that Vice President Kamala Harris is going to get done? Now, the White House says she's going to engage with our allies? Okay, what the hell does that even mean?

Listen to her description of what is actually happening in Europe from earlier this week. I think a kid in first grade could probably give the same exact speech.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

HOST: Break it down to layman's terms for people who don't understand what's going on and how can this directly affect the people of the United States.

KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: So Ukraine is a country in Europe. It exists next to another country called Russia. Russia is a bigger country, Russia is a powerful country. Russia decided to invade a smaller country called Ukraine. So basically that's wrong.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

HANNITY: Seriously? And it doesn't stop there, because the vice president was in even more hot water today after she fired off a tweet about the so- called Equality Act.

Now, that was posted amid the possibility of that nuclear disaster in Europe and the breakout of a wider war. So again, I ask, where are the priorities in the Biden White House? Why is Joe going to Delaware when he needs to be in this Situation Room or in the Oval Office planning, plotting preparing on how to deal with this?

War is raging, inflation's at a 40-year high, the price of oil -- oh, I think it hit a hundred and what fifteen dollars a barrel today, under Biden and Harris. You know, it's one stupid decision after another and frankly, it's humiliating and it's embarrassing.

They're refusing to take the one step, the one action, the one decision that would actually cripple Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin. Sanction the damn oil. Joe, Kamala, what is stopping you? Why would you ever contemplate importing energy from Iran?

Now, we can take down this dictator thug without one U.S. boot on the ground. We should not put one American soldier on the ground there.

I've been very clear with this audience. Not one soldier on the ground fighting this war because as soon as they get there, guess what? Everyone will be all gung-ho and then the Democrats will politicize it and we'll lose countless numbers of our national treasure, men and women fighting because we ask them to fight. And then we'll say, never mind, we're pulling out anyway.

The most important sanction is sanctioning Russian oil. Don't import any more Putin's oil, and that goes for all of our Western European allies. Ratchet up production of the energy resources we have that we have an abundance of it in this country.

These far left-wing lunatics in the White House are -- it's undeniably dumb. Their failed far left, extremist climate policies, they're not just misguided. They're now endangering U.S. national security and frankly world security.

Every dollar we're spending on Russian oil is a dollar that goes straight to Vladimir to fund his war crimes in Ukraine. And right now, we're spending billions of dollars buying over 600,000 barrels of oil from Russia every day, so much for those banking sanctions that you lied to us about because obviously he wouldn't be sending the oil if you weren't giving him the money and paying for it.

Putin is showing no signs of slowing down. He's ratcheting things up. There are war crimes committed by the hour. And by the way, the staff at that nuclear plant seized by Russian forces reportedly sent a message to Ukrainian media warning that the Russian troops that took the plant are now trying to lay down explosives in order to, quote, blackmail all of Europe. Is anyone paying attention? Joey, are you going to be dealing with that in Delaware?

Here for the very latest on the ground in Kyiv, FOX's own Trey Yingst.

Trey, I know you've been working long hours. Thank you for your great coverage.

TREY YINGST, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Sean, thank you. There is growing evidence of war crimes being committed on the ground in Ukraine by Russian forces. We're not just talking about outside the capital of Kyiv, but across this country. In Kharkiv, the second largest city in Ukraine, we've seen this back and forth front line as local media reports tonight the Ukrainians are launching a counter-offensive to try to take back some of that territory the Russians seized in the early days of this invasion.

Now, in the south, the city of Mariupol, this is a city of more than 400,000 civilians. It's currently about to be totally cut off from the outside world as Russian forces look to surround this key port city. Now, if this happened, they've already seen power and water cut, you're going to have an even larger humanitarian crisis taking place on the ground.

And right now, Putin is not mixing any sort of conflict. He is keeping to the playbook what we've seen across the world in places like Syria. He is now targeting civilian areas.

Again, there is evidence of war crimes being committed in the form of cluster bombs, vacuum bombs against residential areas. Some of the images outside the capital of Kyiv, just heartbreaking. You see these apartment buildings that have collapsed. There are still people at this hour under the rubble.

And we are not talking very far outside of this city. We have heard explosions in the distance tonight. Those ground forces do continue their efforts to try to make inroads into this Ukrainian capital and we do know U.S. intelligence officials believe in the coming days, an air campaign is going to get heavier and heavier against population centers in this country.

And while the U.S. intelligence on a scenario like Afghanistan was not as accurate day-to-day, on this story, it has been far more accurate. So when they say and they warn about intelligence that involves civilian areas being hit by Russian bombardments, it has to be taken very seriously because there are still millions of innocent people in this country caught amid the crossfire -- Sean.

HANNITY: So they are targeting civilian areas. They are killing innocent men, women and children. That is confirmed and we can see the video -- video that backs it up, correct?

YINGST: We've seen it with our own eyes, Sean. We saw an apartment building here in the capital of Kyiv that was hit with a Russian missile. At least two people died at this location. We've also seen other civilian areas take direct fire from the Russians.

And they're not just using artillery shells. They're using cruise missiles and even ballistic missiles in populated areas. And some of the images from outside the capital of Kyiv, we're talking 15 to 20 miles away from where we are standing right now. You are seeing neighborhoods being flattened, villages basically wiped off the map in some areas of this country due to the Russian aerial campaign -- Sean.

HANNITY: All right. Trey Yingst, that's a sad commentary. You got to pray for the people in Ukraine.

We go to the big board with our own Bill Hemmer tonight.

Bill, a lot going on. What's the latest?

BILL HEMMER, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Sean, good evening to you.

Stunning report by Trey right now, try and zero in a little bit on what Trey was describing there. Three stories, two of them in the south and then we'll get to Kyiv, in the capital city, and the north is the third story.

This is the town of Mariupol that Trey was just talking about. It has been -- they've been pounded for three days, Sean, and some of the video here that we've seen on the inside of the city here taken fire from the -- from the Sea of Azov, and taken fire from the land as well.

You know, why is that -- ask yourself why is this so important to the Russian army?

Well, you think about -- you know, Putin went into this Donbas region here eight years ago, and he took half of it and if the Russian military that came out of Crimea about nine days ago on a bee line up in Mariupol, if they can secure this city, you can now see the land bridge that starts to come down and in a moment here, almost forms like a crescent there at the bottom part of the country. That's one aspect of this story here.

The other one is to the left here past the city of Kherson, that fell two days ago. It was the first city in the country that fell and Russian forces have moved toward Mykolaiv as well. Keep that city in mind, city of 450,000. I'll explain why in a moment here.

But if they're able to take the southeastern portion and make this link with the southwest, they'll go after the city of Odessa. And that talk about a refugee issue there, the million people that live in Odessa and that would be the next target along the line after Mykolaiv here.

Story number two is the nuclear situation here and, Sean, I was on with you last night when we were talking about this area right here, where we hit the fire nearby. Well, there was a report a bit earlier today that the Russian forces are moving on this area, Mykolaiv, and this town too, there is another large nuclear facility.

Now, we know the problems we have with the Russian fire when they surrounded this facility in the previous town, which is the largest nuclear facility in all of Europe. So now you could have another situation here where you're starting to question, you know, the safety and the security of the second nuclear plant here.

This is where we were last night, Sean, and Enerhodar here, you have six different nuclear reactors, five of them were in operation, one was under construction. The good news in all of this -- if you can even say that -- the good news that we found is that the fire was about 1,200 feet away from the reactor itself and might have saved an enormous disaster of immense proportions here just 24 hours ago.

Let's pop on over here to the north, Sean, I know you had questions in a moment ago about to Jen about what's happening with this convoy. It is still pretty much stuck where it is. It has been for the past several days, but the forces here are outlined in this red area here.

And, Sean, I know our viewers, some of them have seen these pictures online, I know you have as well and I've seen them for the past week, some of these towns in this red portion here have been absolutely annihilated and I bring that up because here's the capital city of Kyiv and we believe that still the incentive is to go ahead and surround the city with that convoy that stretches roughly right around this area and is holding there at the airport.

We believe eventually this convoy is going to find a way to inch its way further south then eventually take all that military hardware and surround the city and if they do in Kyiv with a city of 3 million, which they've done in other parts of this country, you just imagine the devastation there in the loss of human life. It's staggering really when you think about it here.

And they have not done -- I want to make this clear -- they have not gotten to this point yet. They're really pretty much right about here at the airport and some reports from Jack Keane's group a bit earlier today, the general is reporting that it appeared that as if the Ukrainian army had had pushed the Russian army further west from the city --

HANNITY: Let me --

HEMMER: Maybe they -- go ahead, Sean. Here go you.

HANNITY: To hear those words, towns annihilated, is beyond chilling.

HEMMER: You've seen them, right? You've seen the pictures.

HANNITY: I've seen the pictures.

All right. So they've been trapped there. Jennifer mentioned that a bridge had been blown out. Are they able to cross? Where is that bridge in relation to where the convoy is? My feeling has been that if the convoy makes it to Kyiv with that many munitions and tanks and everything else that they have with them, and fuel, et cetera, and missiles, that this could be a massacre in Kyiv, the capital city.

So, stopping that convoy from ever arriving in Kyiv to me would be a top priority. So what is the status? What's holding them up?

HEMMER: I'll give you the best approximate length here that I can. Let's say this is the city center of Kyiv, okay, Sean? The airport on a bee line is about miles, but the convoy is stopped about 16 miles from the city center.

And that bridge that you're talking about in fact coming up we're going to work for Laura at 10:00 tonight, but we're going to talk to somebody who was just in that area where that bridge is located, it's about this area right here, Sean. I wish I could push in and show you little more specifics, but that's about the area where it is.

Point being, a lot of your action is in this part of the city, okay, so far? And it -- again, just keep this in mind, if we get a few days from now or even a week or even two weeks from now, this is still the intent we believe on behalf of the Russian army.

And the reason why I make that point, Sean, is because the city of Kharkiv, Russian speaking, 1.5 million, 20 miles just across the border from Russia here, this city has been hammered just like all the other areas that I was explaining a moment ago, and based on the reporting we're getting it's surrounded but it has not fallen.

So they're still hanging on in the city of Kharkiv which is if I could just go forward just one time here, capital city Kiev is here, Kharkiv is over here and they're hanging on for now. But you have to wonder what is left of that city and frankly there's not much.

You show you one more thing here, Sean, just to complete the story 1.2 million refugees and that number is going to change every day and unfortunately it's only going to go higher from here -- Sean.

HANNITY: All right. Bill Hemmer, very informative, thank you.

Now, let's be honest, if this Russian convoy that we were just talking about makes it into Kyiv, this is going to get so much more bloody than it is now. I mean, neighborhoods leveled. You're -- they're targeting civilians all reported tonight -- towns annihilated, the words of Bill Hemmer.

Does anyone around Putin have a conscience or a soul? Is there anyone around him that's willing to stop this madness before it gets much, much worse? I've said repeatedly, not one American boot on the ground.

And also breaking tonight, Russia is now blocking access to Facebook amid the Kremlin censorship, and their propaganda campaign. Russian lawmakers are even moving ahead on pursuing jail time for those who publish so-called fake news reports about the Russian army.

And Senator Lindsey Graham -- well, he's been attacked ever since he made some remarks on this program last night and saying that someone needs to take Putin out.

Here with reaction from the media mob and from team Biden. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RUHLE: As long as we're talking about reckless behavior, Peter, I want to ask you about a tweet from South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham who writes, is there a Brutus in Russia? In terms of reckless behavior, this is a U.S. senator putting out a public statement like that, who was the chief prosecutor uh in Europe for the U.S. Air Force years ago.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, certainly a provocative statement.

ANA NAVARRO, "THE VIEW" CO-HOST: Well, first of all, who cares what Lindsey says, right?

JOY BEHAR, "THE VIEW" CO-HOST: He's a United States senator.

NAVARRO: Yeah. Do you think any Russian general is going to be listening to what Lindsey Graham is saying on Fox News?

BEHAR: You don't think that Putin could use that as propaganda, the United States -- what they're trying to do over there?

REPORTER: Senator Lindsey Graham said last night that someone ought to assassinate President Putin. Does the White House have any take on that statement? Is it helpful at this point?

JEN PSAKI, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: That is not the position of the United States government and certainly not a statement you'd hear from -- come from the mouth of anybody working in this administration.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: All right. Joining me now, South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham to respond to this criticism.

Senator, you just heard our reporting of what's happened in the last 24 hours since you made that statement.

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): Yeah.

HANNITY: Towns annihilated, neighborhoods leveled, entire areas wiped off the map, and we've heard about targeting civilians -- that would be innocent men, women and children.

GRAHAM: Yeah.

HANNITY: So in the context of what we heard reported right here on this program tonight, that I think would justify the idea that if you have a conscience and a soul, and you're around Vladimir Putin -- I don't care by whatever means necessary -- stand up and stop this because innocent people are dying, including kids.

GRAHAM: Well, thank you for having me.

I spoke to the Ukrainian ambassador earlier today. Your voice is breaking through. After I listen to your program every night, Putin needs a longer table.

Here's what I would say, I've been a military prosecutor, defense attorney, judge for 30-something years. I'm going to introduce a resolution next week -- I'll give it to you on your show -- declaring that Putin is a war criminal.

It's clear to me, the world would be better off if the Russian people took Putin out tonight. The war on Ukraine would end and Russia would have freedom they don't enjoy today. A steel curtain has descended upon the Russian people.

What does that tell me? That Putin is afraid of his own people. Martial law has been virtually declared by Putin. I think the Russian people are not buying what Putin is selling when it comes to the Ukraine.

And if the Ukrainian people continue to fight as brave as they are, I think eventually, the dam will break in Russia.

But I want to say this crystal clear -- without apology, without equivocation -- the world would be better off if Putin were gone tonight. And the best way to end this war is not American boots on the ground, but for the Russian people to rise up, reclaim the honor of their country and take this guy out, Putin, by any means necessary.

And if you don't understand that, you don't understand this war and you don't understand the world in which we live.

HANNITY: I don't know what part of targeting civilians, annihilating towns, leveling neighborhoods and wiping entire cities and buildings off the -- off the map people wouldn't understand.

I know that we have an executive order. The first executive order was under President Ford. The current one I think it was under Reagan, 12333, that prohibits the United States from engaging in assassination.

GRAHAM: Yeah.

HANNITY: With that said, there are people around that have access to Putin -- maybe his generals, maybe his advisers. You're right. That's probably not a table long enough to really protect them.

But I got to imagine that the Russian people, if they knew what was truly happening here, and I bet you many of them do, they don't support this. From the people -- some Russians have already spoken out against it, high profile athletes, et cetera.

You know, why is that even controversial considering if you cut the head off a snake, you kill the whole snake? It would probably end the war, wouldn't you think?

And if there's somebody that follows Putin, you worry -- well, he may be worse, but in the back of that person's mind, he's going to be thinking about what just happened to Putin, wouldn't he?

GRAHAM: Well, in the `30s, when people were calling for getting rid of Hitler and hoping the German people would stop him, they were considered provocative. Looking back in time, don't you think the world had been a better place if the German people had stopped Hitler by any means necessary? Don't you think the world had been a better place if we'd stopped the Balkans war before the genocide?

I'm here to tell you without equivocation, without apology, I believe the world would be a better place if the Russian people took Putin out.

And to the Russian people, your future is in your hands. It's easy to talk about on television. I know it's hard to do. Martial law, a curtain has descended upon you and your freedom. But please, we need a Russian spring. If the Russian people rose up and took this man down, the war in Ukraine would stop. The Russian people would regain its honor.

And if we don't do this, sooner rather than later, thousands are going to die.

HANNITY: Tens of thousands, Lindsey, maybe hundreds.

Is anyone paying attention to the hit squads that Putin has sent in to Ukraine to assassinate President Zelensky? Who frankly has shown amazing courage under fire in my opinion. I don't know him that well, but him staying and fighting and inspiring his people is kind of refreshing because a lot of leaders by this point would have gotten on a private jet with millions of dollars of currency and gold and left the country, and he's staying with his people.

GRAHAM: That's amazing. I'm going to speak with him tomorrow with all members of the Senate. He's an inspiration.

And I just want to say this: you're on the right side of history. I'm on the right side of history.

Calling for Putin to be taken down now to avoid more innocent lives being lost is the right thing to do. Asking the Russian people for a Russian spring is the right thing to do. Helping the Ukrainian people with weapons is the right thing to do.

When it comes to the Biden administration, they're weak and they're slow. We should have done this months ago when it comes to oil and gas sector.

But I'm going to -- I'm going to just let you know, if we don't get this right, if Putin prevails he survives yet again after one war crime after another on television every night, China is going to take Taiwan and the Iranians are going to break out for a bomb. How this end matters, and let it end now, let it end with the Russian people taking this thug and war criminal down.

HANNITY: I'll add one last thing, and stop importing Russian oil. That means the U.S. and that means our allies in Western Europe. And by the way, don't even contemplate taking in or importing Iranian oil. That would be about -- well, maybe the equivalent or even dumber.

Senator Lindsey Graham, thank you for being with us. I agree with you.

GRAHAM: Thank you.

HANNITY: Back to Europe now where concern is growing tonight after Russia seized control of the continent's largest nuclear power plant. There is reportedly now a run on iodine pills, which can help protect your children and young adults uh after a nuclear incident and they're running out of it at pharmacies all across Europe.

Here now with reaction is FOX News senior strategic analyst, General Jack Keane.

General, that is a major concern obviously, nuclear radiation, fallout. The concern I also have is about this 40-mile convoy. I'm a little surprised that they haven't moved much in the last couple of days, and I'm similarly surprised that nobody's taken out that convoy considering they're in the same place and they've stayed there for a lengthy period of time.

GENERAL JACK KEANE, FOX NEWS SENIOR STRATEGIC ANALYST: Well, one of the reasons why they're staying there is because they are being hit by the Ukrainian resistance. So that's one thing.

But the other thing that's obviously operating here is we got an incredible amount of poor planning by the Russian general staff and the Russian commanders here, and even worse execution. And listen, my concern is this is going to drag out much longer than we thought.

This is clearly giving the Ukrainians an opportunity here, an opportunity to prevent them from toppling the government which is their major objective. The military is there to achieve a political objective to topple the Ukraine government and install one friendly to them. There is an opportunity here to prevent that from happening.

My concern is that what stops tanks is not sanctions. As good as those sanctions are, they need anti-tank weapons. What shoots down airplanes are air defense systems, stinger missiles, SP300s and 600s.

We just got around to giving them stingers this week and that's appalling. I commend them for all the rest of the equipment we've got to them, Sean, but we've got to really get all in here and get our allies all in here.

We're going to hear Zelenskyy screaming at us, I'm out of this and I'm out of that, if we don't get our shoulder behind this.

The other thing I'm saying is there's things that we can do covertly and we have had success that in the past. We can do -- pinpoint airdrops of equipment. We don't have to drive this stuff up and down the road from Poland as everybody's doing. Eventually, they're going to stop that. The Russians will cut it off. There's airfields we can go there that have no lights on them at night just like we have in many of the counties in America. We can slip in and slip out of there.

And we can take covert action against the convoy. We have capability to do this and other axes of advance. What I'm looking for is some imagination and some spine applied to this problem, while we still have the opportunity in front of us and sitting right there. We've got the main effort is stalled and we've got to take it on as aggressively as we can.

HANNITY: I hope and I wish the White House and the Pentagon and Joe Biden in Delaware are listening to your advice because you are dead on accurate. That would be the single best thing we can do to follow that strategic plan you just laid out.

General Keane, thank you.

Also tonight, one thing has become very clear: America needs once again to return to energy independence.

Joining me now, one of the senate's strongest advocates for domestic energy production, Republican Utah Senator Mike Lee is with us.

Senator, a bipartisan group of lawmakers led by people like you and Senator Joe Manchin and others, introducing a bill that seeks to ban imports from Russia. Will you please add imports from Iran as well as? Pete Buttigieg is saying that might be in a part of the equation.

I can't believe by ending energy independence, we pushed our allies right into the arms of Putin, and we're still importing oil as of today from Russia. How does that make any sense?

SEN. MIKE LEE (R-UT): It doesn't. Look at the end of the day, Sean, what we see is that Americans want to cultivate an environment in which we've got more energy. Far from wanting more American energy, Joe Biden just wants to control Americans. We want to stop Putin. His policies enabled him.

We've got to get to the point at which we realize the American people need energy, the American people can produce energy here at home, in a far more safe, environmentally sensitive fashion, than they can anywhere else in the world.

Joe Biden's environmental policies and his steadfast resistance to domestic energy production are enabling Vladimir Putin, and we've got to stop that.

HANNITY: Well, let me ask you this: you revealed -- with the inflation report -- wouldn't it be good for our overall national security if we were energy independent? We don't have to worry about the Straits of Hormuz, the Middle East. We don't have to worry about Russia.

We also create high-paying career jobs, right? We lower the 40-year high of inflation we have because energy's cheaper. It costs less of -- you know, heating, cool our homes and fill up our gas tank, everything we buy in every store, the price will go down. And an added benefit is we get to help out our allies in Europe and supply their energy needs and that would make America rich again, not Russia and Iran rich again.

LEE: Exactly. Joe Biden's policies are really good at making Russia rich. They're really good at causing us to go to OPEC nations, cap in hand, asking them for oil and economic relief.

But we shouldn't be doing that. We're better than that. We've got vast energy resources right here in the United States of America.

But you know what Joe Biden did? He shut down production on ANWR, shut down oil and gas leasing on federal lands. He shut down keystone XL pipeline. All these things are inexcusable, and they're part of the package, part of the panoply of policies that have empowered Vladimir Putin.

Shame on Joe Biden for putting those in place, but shame on us if we continue to choose Joe Biden when he's so actively working in Vladimir Putin's camp.

HANNITY: And by importing his oil, we're making him rich. That helps him fund his territorial ambitions.

Senator Mike Lee, good to see you. Thank you for being with us tonight.

Also, we're learning new disturbing details about Putin's plans for Ukrainian President Zelensky as I mentioned earlier. There are reports tonight that there were three separate assassination attempts that have been made on Zelenskyy's life.

Here with reaction all this and the other breaking news, Florida Congressman Michael Waltz is with us and FOX News contributor, former CIA station chief Dan Hoffman.

They're sending in these Chechen killers, Dan. What do you know about them?

DAN HOFFMAN, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Well, reportedly, there have been these three assassination attempts against President Zelensky. I have no doubt that Russia infiltrated Ukraine probably weeks or even months before their invasion to try to find and fix Zelenskyy's location. They've been ruthlessly focused on trying to decapitate Ukraine's government and they know that Zelensky has done an exceptional job of mobilizing international support to the tune of roughly $15 billion, as well as inspiring Ukrainian citizens to take up arms against Russia.

And for that reason, right now, President Zelenskyy is winning the information war against the KGB operative and the Kremlin, Vladimir Putin. How humiliating for Vladimir Putin that he's losing to a former comedian with no prior experience in running the affairs of state.

HANNITY: And, Congressman, I've got to believe this is far more difficult to protect President Zelenskyy because of technology and the ability of the Russians to pinpoint his location. How might he be able to hide from these assassination squads?

REP. MICHAEL WALTZ (R-FL): Well, and, Sean, just to add to what Dan was saying. You know what's interesting in some of the reporting, fascinating really, is that apparently, a number of the hit squad operations were exposed by anti-war elements of the FSB, which was a follow-on service to the KGB, which Putin used to command. And coupled with that, he'd publicly dress down the current head of the FSB.

So I think that's a very interesting piece that I'm going to be seeking more information on. On President Zelenskyy, Dan's right. He's winning the propaganda war worldwide. He has stolen Putin's narrative. He's rallied his people.

But here's the thing, Sean, I think he needs to shift strategy. President Zelenskyy, you need to stay alive at this point. And every time he goes on air, whether it's with a group of senators tomorrow, the European Union, an hour-long press conference, the Russians are trying to geo-locate him and put a cruise missile through the window.

George Washington kept our revolution alive by staying alive, and I hope President Zelenskyy at this point now that he has seized the narrative and rallied his people will shift out of Kyiv as soon as he can and stay alive to keep this resistance alive, so that hopefully the Biden administration can get off the rear end and get them the arms and the weapons that they need.

HANNITY: That -- that to me seems like the only hope that they have, Dan Hoffman, and that is the javelins, the stinger missiles. The rest of Europe is pledging military equipment, some has arrived, obviously, not enough has arrived. Do you think that they'll be able to stop this 40-mile convoy before it hits Kyiv?

HOFFMAN: Well, they've taken some action against that convoy and slowed it down and stopped it. Look, I think we all understand that instead of using what wound up being practically a live Twitter feed of declassifying CIA intelligence on Russia's imminent invasion would have been a good idea concurrently to step up provision of military assistance to Ukraine. But we've got to get it done now. You can add anti-ship harpoon missiles to that list, Sean.

And while we've got the opportunity through Western Ukraine, we've got to flood the zone with that military equipment.

HANNITY: All right. Well said.

Congressman, thank you.

(CROSSTALK)

WALTZ: Sean, Congress -- Congress should be voting on this this weekend, not going on a weekend break while Ukrainians are dying. Pelosi should have us voting on this aid that they need right now.

HANNITY: And somebody needs to get Joe out of his bed and in the Situation Room or in the Oval Office.

Thank you both.

Straight ahead, we will go back on the ground. We have a live report from Ukraine and you won't believe the comparison Stacey Abrams made between herself and Ukrainian people. Really? We'll play that tape, coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HANNITY: We have more big breaking developments on the ground in Ukraine. We go now to FOX's own Lucas Tomlinson.

Lucas, what is going on?

LUCAS TOMLINSON, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Sean, it's another night of martial law, another night of curfew here in Western Ukraine.

Earlier, President Zelenskyy addressed the rest of the continent.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ZELENSKYY (through translator): Do not be silent. Support Ukraine, because if Ukraine does not survive, the whole of Europe will not survive. If Ukraine falls, the whole of Europe will fall.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TOMLINSON: Thousands of supporters poured out into the streets of Prague to hear President Zelenskyy's address. This as fresh attacks in Chernihiv, located two hours north of Ukraine's capital city, and after the U.S. embassy in Ukraine called the Russian attack on the largest nuclear power plant in Europe a war crime.

A former senior intelligence official tells me Putin is resorting to Grozny and Aleppo tactics throughout the country. This as what that miles-long -- that miles-long convoy remain stalled, Sean. It hasn't moved in days. Many are wondering why you can't see any Russian soldiers in the satellite images. There are reports they have run out of food and they're stealing from others, from locals and local supermarkets.

Now, here in Western Ukraine, we left to visit a training camp with foreign fighters. We went through numerous checkpoints. We saw ordinary citizens filling sandbags and checkpoints throughout the city to protect the city of 700,000.

I also spoke to a young woman earlier today who says she wanted the Russian soldiers to go to hell and learn the history of this country -- Sean.

HANNITY: Lucas, thank you.

Now, Democrats here at home are drawing absurd comparisons between the war in Ukraine and the far left agenda. Stacey Abrams appeared to make a bizarre comparison between her work on progressive voting rights to the Ukrainian people fighting back against Russia's invasion, really?

Here now with reaction, FOX News contributors Tammy Bruce, Leo 2.0 Terrell.

Leo, what's your reaction to that?

LEO TERRELL, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: I'm so glad you asked me this question. Stacey Abrams is absorbed with herself. There is absolutely no comparison whatsoever between the hoax of democracy that she's been fighting for with the Jim Crow Act and what is going on in Ukraine.

I will use your words. Cities are being annihilated. Children are being targeted, 1 million refugees. What type of event in this country mirrors what is going on in Ukraine? Nothing.

This is -- for them -- for Stacey Abrams to even mention Ukraine in her hoax of democracy fighting this country is disingenuous. You would expect her to watch what is happening in Ukraine and apologize. But the Democrats won't do that.

But it is insulting to the Ukraine people who are running for their lives, and Stacey Abrams needs a witness or somebody from Ukraine -- ask Greg Gutfeld's mother-in-law. These people are running for their lives. That does not exist in this country here. It's embarrassing.

HANNITY: Tammy, I would argue the climate alarmist cult, in many ways, by eliminating energy independence, helped cause this crisis, and it's also now --

TAMMY BRUCE, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Yes.

HANNITY: -- we're in a position where we are actually funding war and Putin's war by making him rich --

BRUCE: That's right.

HANNITY: -- because we're still importing from him. Reaction?

BRUCE: Yes, yes. We are funding the war against Ukraine, then we are sending tens of millions, hundreds of millions of dollars into Ukraine to fight the money that we're sending to fight them.

But this, of course, is the Democratic madness. Stacey Abrams in particular, I have a feeling it is going to be like mission impossible. She compared herself to Zelenskyy. She is at some point going to have to rip off her face and show herself to be Churchill, at this point.

And you've got individuals who are revealing here that what they are doing is the opposite of real heroism, of real standing up for your country. Her plans are not about defending democracy, but in fact weakening our electoral system, and be statements from her revealed that.

It's a malignant narcissism. Her needing to put herself in the center of something that is genuinely heroic, genuinely respected, because she knows that what she is doing is a fraud, and there's nothing else she can do to convince people otherwise.

It reveals who she is, but more than that, this is classic of the Democratic approach, and it fools people. It's a grifting type of dynamic. They pretend that they are something that they are not, and Americans are tired of it.

So our real revolution, right, is for urban areas, cities that are run by Democrats to say "enough is enough." Their lives have not gotten any better, and you've got this woman, it is like a stolen valor, Sean. It's attaching yourself to people who have real heroism for yourself.

HANNITY: Well said, stolen valor.

Tammy, thanks for being with us. Leo 2.0 Terrell, thank you.

We'll have more HANNITY right after this break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HANNITY: All right, unfortunately, that is all the time we have left this evening, and please set your DVR so you never miss an episode of HANNITY.

Think of what we reported tonight -- targeting civilians, towns annihilated, neighborhoods leveled, entire neighborhoods wiped off the map. Our prayers are with the Ukrainian people.

Stay tuned. Laura Ingraham is up next, bill hemmer filling in tonight. Have a great weekend. We will see you back here on Monday.

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