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Zelensky Hints at Putin After U.S. Seizes Maduro, Saying Washington ‘Knows What to Do Next’

The remark sharpened scrutiny of the raid’s legality, with added focus on implications for the RussiaUkraine conflict.

Overview

  • U.S. forces removed Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores from Caracas and flew them to New York to face a superseding SDNY indictment alleging narco‑terrorism, cocaine importation, and related weapons offenses.
  • Speaking in Kyiv after talks with European national security advisers, Volodymyr Zelensky said the U.S. "knows what to do next," a line widely read as a veiled reference to Vladimir Putin.
  • Russia denounced the operation, urged Washington to release what it called Venezuela’s legitimately elected leaders, and pressed for disputes to be handled through dialogue.
  • President Trump released a photo of Maduro aboard the USS Iwo Jima and said the U.S. would temporarily run Venezuela as the pair "face the full wrath of American justice."
  • Maduro and Flores are being held in New York, with reporting indicating detention at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn and an initial federal court appearance as early as Monday.