Zelenskyy reacts to US operation in Venezuela and hints at Putin
Photo: President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Getty Images)
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has reacted to the US operation to capture Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro. He joked that the US "knows what to do," hinting at another dictator, Russia’s Vladimir Putin, according to the president’s statement during a briefing following talks with national security advisers from partner countries.
During the briefing, the president was asked how he could comment on the US operation in Venezuela, in which American special forces abducted dictator Maduro and transported him to the territory of the United States.
"Venezuela? Well, how should one react to that? What can I say? If this is how dictators can be dealt with, then the United States knows what to do next," Zelenskyy joked, hinting at the possibility of abducting another dictator similarly — this time, Russia’s.
On the night of January 2–3, the United States carried out an operation in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela. The operation involved 150 aircraft, the US Navy, drones, and CIA assets.
US President Donald Trump confirmed the operation on the morning of January 3, announcing the capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro. Trump also released the first photo of Maduro following his capture.
Charges have already been filed against the Venezuelan dictator and his wife, Cilia Flores, in the Southern District of New York, including conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine into the US, and multiple other charges.
Who will come to power in Venezuela remains unclear. According to media reports, the situation could develop along three possible paths. However, Trump has already stated at a briefing that the US will govern Venezuela until power is transferred.
