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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a blunt response when reporters asked him about the U.S. capturing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Zelenskyy was speaking to reporters at a press conference on Saturday following a meeting with European national security advisers when he made the comment.
“Regarding Venezuela? How should we respond to this?” Zelenskyy asked, in remarks translated to English from Ukrainian.
- Zelenskyy bluntly suggested the U.S. could use similar tactics on dictators like Putin after the capture of Venezuela’s Maduro.
- Zelenskyy recently met Trump to discuss a 20-point peace plan for Ukraine, but key issues like land concessions remain unresolved.
- Russia condemned the U.S. military action in Caracas, urging the release of Maduro and his wife and dialogue between both nations.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a blunt reaction to the news
Image credits: Andriy Zhyhaylo/Oboz.ua/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images
“Well, what can I say is, if you can do that with dictators, then the United States knows what to do next,” he said.
While he did not specifically name anyone in his remarks, Zelenskyy is understood to have been referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who invaded Ukraine in 2022.
Putin has consistently refused to agree to a ceasefire and has continued to heavily strike Ukraine as U.S.-mediated peace talks continue.
Zelenskyy and Trump recently met on December 28 at the president’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, where the pair discussed a proposed 20-point peace plan to end the war.
Image credits: Doug Mills – Pool/Getty Images
While both leaders agreed it had been a “great meeting,” they confirmed there are still unresolved issues, such as an agreement on land concessions.
Zelenskyy’s blunt response to Trump’s Venezuela operation has now gained significant attention online, with almost six million people viewing a clip of Zelenskyy’s comments on X.
“The best statement on Maduro by a foreign leader so far. Zelenskyy showing off his showmanship skills,” one person wrote.
In contrast to Zelenskyy’s comments, Russia was among a number of nations to publicly oppose the U.S. military action in Caracas, which saw a number of strikes on land, and Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, detained and transported to the U.S.
Image credits: Contributor/Getty Images
“In view of the confirmed reports about Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his spouse being in the United States, we strongly urge the U.S. leadership to reconsider their position and release the legitimately elected president of a sovereign country and his spouse,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
“We highlight the need to create conditions for resolving any existing issues between the United States and Venezuela through dialogue.”
On Monday morning local time, Maduro was escorted in handcuffs to a federal courthouse in New York to face a series of U.S. charges, including narco-terrorism and drug trafficking.
Maduro and his wife were moved under heavy security from a Brooklyn detention facility to a helicopter and flown to the Manhattan federal court, where their initial appearance on the indictment is set to take place.
Maduro is expected to appear in court on Monday
Image credits: XNY/Star Max/GC Images
The dramatic transfer, caught on video and widely reported, took place ahead of their scheduled court appearance at 12 p.m.
It comes as an emergency session of the UN’s Security Council is currently underway to discuss the situation in Venezuela.
While Trump has insisted that the U.S. is in control of the country, Venezuela’s Supreme Court has appointed Maduro’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, as acting president.
Speaking to reporters on Air Force One on Sunday, Trump warned that Rodríguez would face worse consequences than Maduro should she refuse to cooperate.
In a statement delivered to the Security Council on Monday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said he was deeply concerned about the U.S. strikes and capture of Maduro.
Image credits: Jesus Vargas/Getty Images
In remarks delivered on his behalf by Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo, Guterres said, “I remain deeply concerned that rules of international law have not been respected with regard to the 3 January military action.”
“I am deeply concerned about the possible intensification of instability in the country, the potential impact on the region, and the precedent it may set for how relations between and among states are conducted.”
“The power of the law must prevail,” Guterres added.
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Zelenskyy knows what he is talking about, standing between two of the worst despots alive.
Zelenskyy knows what he is talking about, standing between two of the worst despots alive.
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