‘I have a great relationship with him’: Trump says Maduro-style operation against Putin ‘not necessary’

Days after the US carried out a military operation in Venezuela and captured former president Nicolas Maduro and his wife to face federal drug-trafficking charges, President Donald Trump ruled out the possibility of a similar action against Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Responding to a reporter’s question on Friday about whether Washington could consider such a mission in the future, Trump said he did not believe it would be necessary. Playing down the suggestion, he said the US had always shared a good relationship with Putin, even as he expressed disappointment over the ongoing war in Ukraine.

‘Not necessary,’ Trump says

Asked about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s remarks, which appeared to hint that Putin could be next after Maduro’s arrest, Trump told reporters, “I don’t think it’s going to be necessary. I think we’re going to have a – and always had – a great relationship with him.”

Disappointment over Ukraine war

Speaking during a meeting with top US oil and gas executives, Trump said he was “very disappointed” that the Ukraine conflict had not yet ended. Referring to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which began in 2022, he said he had settled eight wars in the past and believed this conflict would have been easier to resolve.

“I wish we could have done it quicker because a lot of people are dying, mostly soldiers,” Trump said.

He also highlighted the human and economic cost of the war, saying that around 31,000 people were killed last month, many of them Russian soldiers, and that the Russian economy was doing poorly.

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ICC warrant complicates diplomacy

Putin is currently facing an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court in The Hague over alleged war crimes in Ukraine, a factor that has further complicated diplomatic efforts to end the fighting.

Maduro’s capture in Venezuela

Trump’s remarks came a week after a shock US operation in Caracas in which former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro was captured in a pre-dawn raid and flown to the US to face trial. The operation drew global attention and prompted reactions from several world leaders.

Commenting on Maduro’s arrest, Zelensky made an oblique reference to Putin, saying that if this is how a “dictator” must be treated, then the United States knows what it should do next. Trump, however, publicly rejected the idea of ordering any similar action against the Russian leader.

How the US operation unfolded

According to US accounts, the Venezuela operation began shortly after midnight, with airstrikes followed by the deployment of elite Delta Force troops who stormed Maduro’s residence. Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were taken into custody and transported to New York via a US military base and the USS Jima.

Fallout in Venezuela

Venezuela’s vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, has since assumed the presidency, while condemning the US action as illegal and criminal. Despite the strong criticism, Washington and Caracas have begun exploratory talks on restoring diplomatic ties, including the possible reopening of the US embassy.

Trump has linked Venezuela’s political transition to its oil resources, encouraging American energy companies to invest while promising security guarantees. He has claimed that oil firms are ready to invest up to $100 billion and said the US plans to sell large volumes of Venezuelan crude.

Following the raid, Venezuelan authorities began releasing political prisoners, a move the US said was secured after the operation. Families gathered outside jails in Caracas hoping for reunions, even as protests continued in the city demanding Maduro’s release and opposing US control over the country’s resources.

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Meanwhile, Venezuelan officials said about 100 people were killed and a similar number wounded in the US raid, marking the first official casualty toll released since the operation.