Why Putin Went Quiet When Challenged by Trump Over Venezuela
For the Russian leader, courting President Trump to secure a favorable resolution in Ukraine, and possibly more, is far more important.
President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia during a news conference with President Trump in August in Anchorage.Credit...Doug Mills/The New York Times
nytimes.com/2026/01/10/world/europe/trump-putin- …
By Paul SonneValerie Hopkins and Andrew E. Kramer
Paul Sonne and Valerie Hopkins reported from Berlin, and Andrew E. Kramer from Kyiv, Ukraine.
Jan. 10, 2026
Sitting on a gilded chair in the green drawing room of the Grand Kremlin Palace, Nicolás Maduro, the leader of Venezuela, turned to President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia and spoke of their bright future together.
“We will see relations flourish between the great Russia, today a leading power of humankind, and Venezuela,” Mr. Maduro proclaimed at the meeting, last May.
Eight months later, Mr. Maduro is sitting some 4,700 miles away in a violent …More