Vladimir Putin is clearly delighted by Trump’s election. The self-proclaimed “best negotiator in the world” has basically conceded that Russia will achieve everything it wanted to achieve when it invaded Ukraine. Trump, along with Secretary of Defense Hegseth and Secretary of State Rubio, have clearly stated, or at least implied, that they will seek to “normalize relations” with a country and leader who are guilty of war crimes, deny NATO membership and not allow Ukraine to reclaim territory illegally seized by Russia, hint that there are “economic opportunities” between Russia and the US, state that the US would not participate in any peacekeeping force on the ground and allow Russia back into the G7 which they were expelled from in 2014 after they annexed Crimea. All of this apparently already conceded to the invading country without any participation of either the country that was invaded, Ukraine, or any of our NATO allies who along with the US have been steadfastly resisting Putin and Russia since the conflict began three years ago. Looks like the master negotiator has been played by Putin and is yet another strong signal of Trump’s affinity and admiration of authoritarian leaders and his desire to move away from democratic rule in our country. His blanket pardons of the J6 insurrectionists, his desire to annex Canada, Panama, and Greenland, his determination to find and eliminate those he views as political enemies, and his use of Musk and his DOGE minions to recklessly and heartlessly downsize government all are additional indications of his ambition to emulate Putin and other authoritarian leaders past and present.

When will Republican members of Congress show courage and speak out against what Trump is doing? The entire world is watching, and their silence speaks volumes.

MIKE McCLELLAN,

Alpena