“The operation was carried out competently,” wrote the pro-Kremlin Telegram channel Dva Mayora, which has close ties to the Russian military. “In the space of a day, Trump arrested Maduro and seemingly wrapped up his own ‘special military operation,’” she wrote. Despite Moscow’s pledges to defend Maduro, the Kremlin had scant appetite to risk angering Trump over a distant theatre. “Putin and Trump are currently focused on a far more consequential issue for Moscow: Ukraine. US access to Venezuela’s oil reserves could push global prices lower, threatening one of Russia’s most important sources of income.

Source: The Guardian January 05, 2026 21:24 UTC