Washington: US President Donald Trump on Friday dismissed speculation that Washington could launch a dramatic military-style operation against Russian President Vladimir Putin, similar to the recent raid that led to the arrest of Venezuela’s former leader Nicolas Maduro. While rejecting such a possibility as unnecessary, Trump expressed strong disappointment over the continued war in Ukraine, saying he had hoped the conflict would have ended by now.
Responding to questions about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s veiled remarks suggesting Putin could be the next target after Maduro’s arrest, Trump told reporters that such an action was unlikely. He said he believed the United States had maintained a strong relationship with the Russian leader and did not see the need for an extreme intervention.
Speaking during a meeting with senior executives from the US oil and gas sector, Trump said the ongoing war had been far more difficult to resolve than he initially expected. He noted that he had previously helped settle several international conflicts and believed the Russia-Ukraine war would be among the easier ones to end. Instead, he said, the fighting has dragged on, resulting in heavy losses on both sides.
Trump also referred to the scale of casualties, claiming tens of thousands of soldiers, particularly Russians, had died in recent weeks. He added that Russia’s economy was under severe strain and maintained that a settlement was still possible, though he regretted that it had not been achieved sooner.
Putin is currently facing an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court over alleged war crimes linked to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, a development that has further complicated diplomatic efforts to end the conflict.
The remarks came days after a surprise US operation in Caracas that resulted in the capture of Nicolas Maduro, who was flown to the United States to face charges including drug trafficking. The unprecedented move sent shockwaves through the international community and prompted reactions from leaders closely watching Washington’s next steps.
Zelensky, commenting on the Maduro episode, made an indirect reference to Putin, suggesting that the United States knew how to deal with dictators. Trump, however, firmly ruled out applying the same approach to Russia, distancing himself from any suggestion of a similar mission against the Kremlin leader.
According to US officials, the operation in Venezuela involved coordinated airstrikes and a rapid ground assault that led to Maduro’s arrest and transfer to the US. His vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, has since taken over as interim leader, strongly condemning the US action while simultaneously engaging in preliminary talks with Washington on restoring diplomatic relations.
Trump has linked Venezuela’s political transition to its vast oil reserves, encouraging American energy companies to invest heavily under US oversight. He has claimed that major investments are being lined up and said revenues from Venezuelan oil sales could be used strategically by Washington.
Meanwhile, Venezuelan authorities have begun releasing political detainees, a move the US says followed negotiations after Maduro’s arrest. Despite this, protests have erupted in Caracas, with demonstrators demanding Maduro’s release and rejecting US influence over the country’s resources.
Trump said he plans to meet Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado next week, even as tensions remain high on the streets of the capital, where citizens continue to rally against the US intervention.
