On Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shared his thoughts on the recent U.S. capture of Venezuela’s former leader, Nicolás Maduro. Addressing reporters in Kyiv, Zelenskyy commented, “Washington knows what to do next,” indicating his confidence in the U.S. strategy moving forward.
The comments came after Zelenskyy had just met with national security advisors from the Coalition of the Willing. When questioned about the dramatic U.S. military action that took place in the early hours in Caracas, Zelenskyy responded, “Regarding Venezuela? How should we respond to this?” In Ukrainian, he continued, “Well, what I can say is, if you can do that with dictators, then the United States knows what to do next,” ending his statement with a knowing smile.
The operation saw U.S. forces apprehend Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, from their residence. They were subsequently transported to the USS Iwo Jima and flown to New York to face federal charges.
The capture has not been without controversy. Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has condemned the actions, calling upon the Trump administration to release “the legitimately elected president of a sovereign country and his spouse.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, speaking from Kyiv, remains unfazed by the geopolitical tensions, signaling his support for the U.S. decision with a confident demeanor during the press briefing.
Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs denounced the capture of Maduro and his wife, urging the Trump administration to release the “legitimately elected president of a sovereign country and his spouse.”
In a superseding indictment released Saturday by Attorney General Pam Bondi, Maduro is charged with leading a narco-terrorism conspiracy tied to large-scale cocaine trafficking into the United States, along with related drug importation and weapons offenses.
Flores is also charged in the same indictment with participating in a decades-long cocaine trafficking conspiracy and related firearms offenses.
The charges build on prior indictments from 2020.
Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro gestures next to his wife Cilia Flores after the presidential inauguration in Caracas on Jan. 10, 2025. (Juan Barreto/AFP via Getty Images)
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Dan Caine said the mission, dubbed “Operation Absolute Resolve,” involved more than 150 aircraft and a coordinated effort by the U.S. military, intelligence agencies and law enforcement to apprehend the duo.
“This operation is a testament to the dedication and unwavering commitment to justice and our resolve to hold accountable those who threaten peace and stability,” he said at a Mar-a-Lago press conference alongside President Donald Trump and Cabinet officials.
Trump told reporters he never spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin about Maduro.
“I’m not thrilled with Putin. He’s killing too many people,” the president said when asked whether he was upset at the Russian leader.
President Donald Trump speaks at his Mar-a-Lago club, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, in Palm Beach, Florida. (Alex Brandon/AP)
Moscow has continued pounding Kyiv with large-scale drone and missile attacks as the Trump administration works to secure a potential peace agreement to end the nearly four-year war.
“Russia has not shown a genuine willingness to pursue peace. Instead, it continues its aggressive war, violence and destabilization, using negotiations as a tactic to buy time,” Zelenskyy said during the Coalition of the Willing meeting, according to a statement from his office. “It employs provocations and manipulations to derail progress in the peace process,”
