Zelenskyy Applauds Maduro Capture, Urges U.S. to Keep Going

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy gave a knowing nod to Washington’s takedown of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, signaling support for bold U.S. action against authoritarian regimes and suggesting more could be on the horizon.

Speaking Saturday from Kyiv after a meeting with national security officials from the Coalition of the Willing, Zelenskyy was asked about the U.S. military operation that led to the capture of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.

“If you can do that with dictators,” Zelenskyy said with a smile, “then the United States knows what to do next.”

The comment drew immediate global attention not only as a statement of support for President Trump’s daring mission, but as a thinly veiled challenge to Western democracies to stop tolerating rogue regimes. Maduro, who was indicted for narco-terrorism and human trafficking, is now in U.S. custody after being extracted from Caracas in a dramatic nighttime operation involving over 150 aircraft and the full weight of American military, intelligence, and law enforcement.

The operation, code-named "Operation Absolute Resolve," ended with Maduro and Flores detained aboard the USS Iwo Jima and flown to New York to face federal prosecution. Attorney General Pam Bondi unsealed a superseding indictment Saturday charging both with decades-long cocaine trafficking operations, weapons offenses, and narco-terrorism conspiracy.

Zelenskyy’s remarks added fuel to a global firestorm of reactions:

• Russia’s foreign ministry condemned the arrest, calling for the release of “the legitimately elected president of a sovereign country,” despite Maduro’s widely discredited elections and violent suppression of dissent.

• President Trump dismissed Russian complaints, stating bluntly: “I’m not thrilled with Putin. He’s killing too many people.”

• General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, said the strike was a model of American capability and resolve, calling it “a testament to our commitment to justice.”

But for Zelenskyy, who continues to fend off Russian aggression amid stalled peace negotiations, the message is clear: the world needs more action and less talk.

“Russia has not shown a genuine willingness to pursue peace,” Zelenskyy warned Saturday. “It continues its aggressive war, violence, and destabilization, using negotiations as a tactic to buy time.”

The timing of Maduro’s capture as the Trump administration ramps up efforts to end the war in Ukraine and dismantle global narco-terror networks sends a powerful signal: rogue regimes are no longer untouchable.

From Caracas to Kyiv, the message is resonating: America is back, and the era of empty warnings is over.

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