Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky did not hold back in his reaction to the United States’ audacious military operation which ended with the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his spouse in Caracas. Just after the thrilling raid, Zelensky was addressing European security advisers and did not directly mention Russia or its leader, Vladimir Putin, but got his point across quite cleverly implying a universal approach in dealing with despots. ‘If the US can eliminate a tyrant like Maduro at a snap of their fingers, then Washington is now aware of the next move,’ was his statement that got mostly interpreted as a subtle hint to Putin considering the ongoing war in Ukraine and Russia’s worldwide control.
US-Venezuela Conflict
US intervention in Venezuela was a drastic measure and it was the critical moment in American foreign policy, with President Donald Trump authorizing an operation that eventually led to the arrest of Maduro, his being brought to the US, and the charging of various crimes including narco terrorism. The Trump administration defended the operation as a weapon against drug trafficking and corruption, but at the same time, critics have accused that it has set a wrong precedent for the use of military force outside US borders. As a result of this intervention, Russia’s reaction was immediate and it labeled the intervention as ‘armed aggression’, and besides, other countries also protested, pointing out that violation of sovereignty had occurred. Zelensky made his remarks during this global debate, and his indirect allusion to what the US might do next regarding Russia and the Ukraine conflict was not lost.
Zelensky’s Comments
The timing of Zelensky’s comments indeed mirrors Ukraine’s difficult situation in the world of politics. Even though he did not specifically call for putting similar measures against Putin, the hint was quite loud and clear for people who took his words as a support for using more decisive ways to get rid of the leaders considered aggressors. Experts underline that such language indicates Kyiv’s growing irritation with the drawn out conflict with Russia, which has claimed and drained a lot of resources. However, Zelensky has always been very diplomatic and has never directly mentioned the American military coming to Russia’s aide, fully aware of the political dangers as well as the legal complications involved in such actions.
