Zelenskyy Hints at Putin After Maduro Capture, Says US Knows What to Do Next
If this can be done to dictators like that, then the United States of America knows what they should do next, Zelenskyy said
Kyiv: Hours after US President Donald Trump announced the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made an oblique reference to Russian President Vladimir Putin, suggesting that Washington now knows how to deal with dictators.
Speaking at a news conference, Zelenskyy was asked about Maduro’s capture and said, “What can I say here? If this can be done to dictators like that, then the United States of America knows what they should do next.”
The remarks were widely seen as a reference to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Earlier, Russia’s Foreign Ministry urged the United States to release Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, calling them the “legitimately elected leaders” of a sovereign country.
In a post on X, the Russian Foreign Ministry said, “In view of the confirmed reports about Venezuelan President Nicolas 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,” the statement added.
Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured in Caracas and flown out of the country in a joint operation involving intelligence agencies and US law enforcement.
President Trump said the couple had been indicted in the Southern District of New York on charges of alleged drug trafficking and narco-terrorism conspiracies and would face trial in the United States.
Meanwhile, the US released a video showing Maduro in handcuffs during a staged “perp walk” as he was led into custody.
Maduro is set to be transferred to the Metropolitan Detention Center in New York City, according to CNN. The facility has been described as having “horrifying” conditions and is known for squalor, chronic understaffing, inmate violence, and power outages.
Hours after Maduro and his wife were taken into custody, Venezuela’s opposition was seen celebrating.
Trump later expressed a lack of confidence in opposition leader Maria Corina Machado and suggested he would instead partner with Maduro loyalist Delcy Rodriguez.
Machado had called for the immediate installation of Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia as president. Most Western governments regard Gonzalez as the legitimate winner of Venezuela’s contested 2024 presidential election, according to CNN.
