President Donald Trump on Friday addressed a reporter’s question about whether he would consider deploying the US military to capture Russian President Vladimir Putin, following the dramatic capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro last week.
The question comes at a moment of rapidly evolving US foreign policy, marked by military action in Venezuela and intensified efforts by the Trump administration to assert control over global oil flows tied to sanctioned regimes.
Donald Trump on Whether Putin Could Be Captured Next
Donald Trump was asked whether he would ever authorize a similar mission against Putin, referencing recent remarks by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky following Maduro’s capture.
Trump gave an ambiguous response, saying such an operation would not be necessary.
“I don’t think it’s going to be necessary,” Trump said. “I’ve always had a great relationship with him [Putin]. I’m very disappointed. I settled eight wars; I thought this was going to be in the middle of the pack or maybe one of the easier ones.”
DOOCY: Would you ever order a mission to capture Putin?
TRUMP: I don’t think it’s going to be necessary. I’ve always had a great relationship with him. I’m very disappointed. pic.twitter.com/5QD8HnQ65g
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 9, 2026
Donald Trump On Mounting Pressure On Putin
Trump also pointed to recent battlefield and economic developments in Russia, suggesting mounting pressure on Moscow.
“The last month, they’ve lost 31,000 people, many of them Russian soldiers and the Russian economy is doing poorly,” he said.
The remarks come as the Trump administration continues efforts to broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine.
Zelensky Reacts to Maduro Operation As War With Putin Continues
Following Maduro’s capture, Zelensky suggested that Washington now had a clear roadmap for dealing with authoritarian leaders.
The Ukrainian president reacted pointedly to the Jan. 3 nighttime raid on the Venezuelan leader’s residence.
“Well, what can I say is, if you can do that with dictators, then the United States knows what to do next,” Zelensky told reporters in Kyiv.
Since the illegal military raid in South America, the Trump administration has issued threats to invade or topple governments in Cuba, Mexico, and Colombia. Trump has also threatened to annex the Danish territory of Greenland by force if necessary.
In a recent interview with The New York Times, Trump openly questioned the role of international law in constraining US action abroad.
“I don’t need international law,” Trump said, adding that the only thing capable of stopping his global interventions is “My own morality.”
“My own mind. It’s the only thing that can stop me,” the 79-year-old president said.
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
