Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for the United States to detain Russian President Vladimir Putin, following news that US forces captured ousted Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro in an overnight operation.
Zelensky didn’t hold back when pressed about the US toppling Maduro’s regime, after President Trump ordered airstrikes on military sites near the Venezuelan capital of Caracas early Saturday morning. Speaking to reporters after meeting with European national security advisers the same day, the Ukrainian leader remarked, “How should I react to this? What can I say?”
He continued, “If it’s possible to deal with dictators this way, then the US knows what to do next,” directly suggesting that Trump should handle Putin in the same manner, as Russia continues its attacks on Ukraine three years after invading the war-torn country.
Russia, along with several other nations, swiftly demanded the Trump administration release Maduro and his wife, Celia Flores, after their capture from their home in Venezuela. The Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement: “In view of the confirmed reports about Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his spouse being in the United States, we strongly urge the US leadership to reconsider their position and release the legitimately elected president of a sovereign country and his spouse. We highlight the need to create conditions for resolving any existing issues between the United States and Venezuela through dialogue.”
Maduro and Flores arrived in New York City Saturday night, where they are scheduled to face federal narco-terrorism charges. President Trump declared that the couple will face the “full wrath of American justice.”
Sources confirmed that Maduro and Flores will be held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn and are expected to appear in federal court as early as Monday.
https://nypost.com/2026/01/03/world-news/zelensky-calls-for-us-to-take-down-putin-following-capture-of-venezuela-dictator-nicolas-maduro/
