In Rare Criticism, Trump Says Putin Is ‘Destroying Russia’

President Vladimir Putin of Russia heralded President Trump’s second inauguration with glowing praise, saying Mr. Trump showed “courage” in his campaign and won a “convincing victory” in the election.

But hours later on Monday, in the Oval Office, Trump didn’t return the favor. The American president made some of the most critical comments he’s ever made about Mr. Putin, declaring that the Russian leader is “destroying Russia” by waging war in Ukraine.

“He can’t be thrilled, he’s not doing so well,” Mr. Trump told reporters Monday evening, referring to Mr. Putin’s war. “Russia is bigger, they have more soldiers to lose, but that’s no way to run a country.”

The whiplash underscored why celebrations of Trump’s return to the White House have been muted in Russia in recent months: Russian officials know that Trump is unpredictable. Indeed, Trump has often spoken warmly about Putin.

Still, the situation remains fluid, and Trump said Monday that he may speak to Putin “very soon.” On Tuesday, Putin’s foreign policy adviser, Yuri Ushakov, told reporters that Russia was “taking into account” Mr. Trump’s Oval Office comments but was still waiting for his aides to reach out about potential talks.

“We are ready and open for dialogue with the new U.S. administration on the Ukraine conflict,” Ushakov said. “If the relevant signals come in from Washington, then we’ll pick them up and will be ready to hold negotiations.”

Trump had promised to end the war before he even took office, but asked Monday how long it would take to stop the fighting, he said: “I have to speak to President Putin. We’re going to have to find out.”

Putin has made no secret of his eagerness to talk to Trump. On Monday, Putin said he welcomed the U.S. president’s readiness to “restore direct contacts with Russia.”

But Putin is hedging his bets by firming up his existing alliances. Last Friday, Putin welcomed Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, to the Kremlin as the two signed a treaty pledging to increase their cooperation on military and economic matters. And on Tuesday, Putin held a video call with Xi Jinping, China’s leader, greeting him as his “dear friend.”

Chinese state media said Xi and Putin pledged to work together “to cope with uncertainties in the external environment,” and that they would “jointly defend the international system with the United Nations as the core.” That stance appeared to be an effort to strike a contrast with Mr. Trump, who on Monday ordered the United States to withdraw from the World Health Organization and the Paris Agreement, a U.N. climate pact.

Ushakov, the Kremlin aide, told reporters that Xi briefed Putin on his call with Trump last week. Ushakov said that both leaders “expressed their readiness to build relations with the United States on a mutually beneficial and respectful basis, if Trump’s team shows reciprocal interest in this.”

In Ukraine, Russian forces are pushing ahead in the country’s east, but at the cost of what Western officials say are more than 1,000 dead and wounded soldiers a day. In a freewheeling exchange with reporters on Monday as he signed executive orders in the Oval Office, Trump referred to Russia’s losses as leverage for a potential deal to end the war.

“He’s grinding it out, but most people thought that war would have been over in about one week,” Trump said. “I think he’d be very well off to end that war.”

Trump said last week that he would meet with Putin “very quickly” after his inauguration, and the Russian president has said he’d be ready to meet with Trump. Such a meeting would be a major milestone for Putin even without a settlement in Ukraine, marking a break after three years of near-total isolation imposed by Western leaders.

Ahead of any potential talks, Putin is signaling that he’ll be a tough negotiator and that he is convinced that he has the resources to outlast Ukraine and the West, despite economic sanctions that have put severe strain on Russia’s economy. He reiterated his public stance on Monday that he wants a “long-term peace” rather than a “brief cease-fire,” and that he’ll “fight for Russia’s interests.”

The Kremlin has defined those interests as a guarantee that Ukraine will never join NATO and other limits to the West’s role in Eastern Europe. Putin has also made clear that he will insist on keeping all of the territory that Russia has captured.

READ MORE HERE:  Trump Says Putin Is ‘Destroying Russia’ - The New York Times

Prefiled bills seek to “add some teeth” to immigration enforcement

Two bills prefiled in the Alabama legislature would enhance sentencing of illegal immigrants convicted of crimes, as well as strengthen local law enforcement’s powers to enforce immigration law.

With the Laken Riley Act, sponsored by Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., on track to become one of the first bills signed into law after President Donald Trump’s inauguration, Alabama’s state lawmakers are scheduled to begin debating similar immigration measures upon the 2025 legislative session’s start on Feb. 21.  

House Bill 3, sponsored by state Rep. Chip Brown, R-Mobile, would impose harsher sentencing on undocumented immigrants convicted of felonies or certain misdemeanors.

Meanwhile, House Bill 7, sponsored by state Rep. Ernie Yarbrough, R-Trinity, would enhance local law enforcement’s ability to enforce immigration law and transfer custody of detained individuals to federal immigration enforcement.

HB3 would provide longer sentencing for criminal defendants who aren’t legally entitled to reside or work in the U.S. and convicted of a felony offense.

Those convicted of a Class A felony, which ranges in sentencing from 10 years to life in prison, would be ensured a life sentence. Defendants convicted of Class B, C or D felonies would have their sentencing upgraded by one felony class.

Undocumented defendants convicted of a misdemeanor where the victim was a minor, will be sentenced to a Class C felony.

Meanwhile, HB7 would strengthen local law enforcement’s ability to enforce immigration law.

The bill would allow local law enforcement agencies to enter “memorandums of understanding and agreements” with the U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Department of Homeland Security or any other federal agency to assist in enforcing immigration law.

The bill reads that any local law enforcement officer acting under such memoranda of understanding “may arrest, with probable cause, any individual suspected of being an illegal alien.”

The bill would also allow state and local law enforcement to transport an individual into the custody of the federal immigration enforcement, provided an officer has “verification that a person is an illegal alien.”

If passed, both bills will go into effect Oct. 1.

READ MORE HERE: Prefiled bills seek to "add some teeth" to immigration enforcement