Will US 'capture' Putin like Maduro? Trump answers

Sat, 10 January 2026
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United States President Donald Trump has played down suggestions that the US could launch a dramatic operation against Russian President Vladimir Putin similar to the raid that led to the capture of Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro.

Asked about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's cryptic remarks hinting that Putin could be next after Maduro's seizure, 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."

Hours after Trump announce the capture of Venezuelan Dictator Nicolas Maduro, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky weighed in with an oblique reference to Russian President Vladimir Putin and said that if a dictator can be treated the way Nicolas Maduro was, Trump knows what to do next.

In a news conference when the Ukrainian President was asked about the Maduro capture he said, "What can I say here? If this can be done to dictators, like that, then the United States of America know what they should do next." The obvious reference was Russian President Vladimir Putin.