Donald Trump responds on whether special operation to capture Vladimir Putin is possible
Photo: Donald Trump, President of the United States (Getty Images)
US leader Donald Trump responded to a question about whether a special operation to capture Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin could be carried out, similar to the Venezuelan scenario. The US president said he hopes such a step will not be necessary, according to the White House.
After a US special operation in Venezuela in early January that led to the capture of President Nicolás Maduro, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that "if dictators can be treated this way, then the United States knows what to do next," an apparent hint at Vladimir Putin.
A journalist therefore asked Donald Trump whether the Venezuelan scenario could be repeated. Trump replied:
"I don't think it's going to be necessary. I've always had a great relationship with him. I'm disappointed," the US president said.
Trump also added that he has "settled eight wars" and believed Russia’s war against Ukraine would be "one of the easiest."
"The last month they lost 31,000 people. Many of them Russian soldiers. I think we went up getting it settled," Trump concluded.
Special operation to detain Maduro
On January 3 the United States carried out a series of strikes in Caracas. During a special forces operation, Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife were detained and transported to the United States, where they were charged with drug trafficking and illegal possession of automatic weapons, which US authorities allege were intended for use against the US.
Court proceedings related to Maduro are currently underway in the United States, though the dictator is expected to stand trial only in 2027.
The core cause of the US–Venezuela standoff has been oil fields owned by American companies, which Caracas nationalized under Maduro’s predecessor, Hugo Chávez.
From the outset of the conflict, Trump demanded that Venezuela return what he called "stolen assets, oil, and land" to the United States, demands Maduro repeatedly ignored.
