Overview
- U.S. special envoy Richard Grenell rejected a New York Times report that the White House weighed three options, including airstrikes and a capture‑or‑kill mission against Nicolás Maduro.
- Nicolás Maduro approved ruling‑party proposals to organize neighborhood‑level defense and prepare for armed struggle if the United States attacks.
- Russia’s deputy UN envoy Dmitry Polyanskiy said a single Security Council member blocked a Russian draft chairman’s statement urging restraint and dialogue on Venezuela.
- At a Miami forum, President Donald Trump raised the prospect of U.S.–Russia–China nuclear‑disarmament talks and said the United States does not seek war, while Vladimir Putin ordered agencies to study resuming nuclear tests and arms‑control groups warned of an arms‑race risk.
- The longest U.S. government shutdown on record persists, with Trump urging Senate Republicans to end it by scrapping the filibuster, Democrats requesting a bipartisan meeting, and protesters rallying in Washington.