Putin has remained silent after U.S. capture of Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro

President Vladimir V. Putin has not publicly responded after the United States captured Venezuela’s leader, Nicolás Maduro, and transferred him to a federal detention center in Brooklyn following a U.S. military raid ordered by President Trump, the Times reported. The Kremlin’s silence follows a monthslong pattern of downplaying U.S.

actions that might previously have provoked a stronger Russian reaction. Russia’s muted reply to a recent U.S. seizure of a sanctioned oil tanker was a three‑paragraph statement from the Ministry of Transport; Mr. Putin did not comment, and experts quoted in the report said he is avoiding antagonizing Washington while seeking a favorable outcome in Ukraine.

Analysts cited in the piece argued that Russia’s global influence has been eroded by the 2022 invasion of Ukraine and subsequent setbacks, including the late‑2024 collapse of Bashar al‑Assad’s government in Syria, Mr. Trump’s assertion of U.S. power over Venezuela, and unrest in other regions.

“The Ukraine war is a dark hole that consumes Russia’s resources,” Alexander Gabuev said, and he added that Moscow would be unlikely to go to war with the United States over Venezuela.

Key Topics

World, Vladimir Putin, Nicolas Maduro, Donald Trump, Venezuela, Ukraine War