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Dmitry Medvedev has warned that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy could face the same fate as Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, following what he described as a U.S. ‘abduction’ of the Venezuelan president.
In a wide-ranging statement released on Sunday, the Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council accused Washington of orchestrating Maduro’s detention and suggested European governments had responded with ‘cowardice’.
The former Russian president said Zelenskyy could become the next target of a U.S.-backed removal if he failed to comply with Washington’s demands.
Medvedev made the remarks to Russia’s state news agency TASS, presenting Maduro’s detention not as a democratic process but as a ‘kidnapping’ driven by U.S. interests in natural resources.
Medvedev strongly criticised European reactions to events in Caracas, describing them as a ‘classic case of double standards’ and accusing EU leaders of subservience to the United States.
Using inflammatory language, he dismissed European arguments about the legitimacy of Venezuela’s leadership and claimed Brussels was seeking to justify what he described as a "flagrant violation of international law."
He singled out European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, likening her to a cartoon villain from Soviet-era animation for portraying the U.S. operation as a democratic transition.
Medvedev drew a direct comparison between Maduro and Zelenskyy, repeating the Kremlin’s claim that the Ukrainian president’s term had expired.
He warned that if the U.S. was prepared to detain a Latin American leader on drug trafficking charges, it could apply similar logic to Ukraine should its leadership refuse a potential agreement with Donald Trump.
Medvedev suggested Zelenskyy’s removal could happen in the near future, using derogatory language to describe the Ukrainian leadership and nationalists.
Resources and power politics
While condemning the legality of the U.S. operation in Venezuela, Medvedev said it reflected a consistent approach by Trump, which he characterised as the forceful pursuit of U.S. national interests.
He claimed Washington’s primary motivation was access to oil in Latin America and rare earth minerals in Ukraine, describing U.S. foreign policy as operating on the principle of "the right of the strongest".
Medvedev also speculated that other countries could be at risk, making sarcastic references to Greenland and German politics.
Concluding his remarks, Medvedev dismissed the United Nations as ineffective, arguing it had failed to prevent wars or genocides.
He said nuclear weapons remained the strongest guarantee of national security, claiming Russia’s arsenal was the main factor restraining Western powers.
Medvedev warned that the U.S. operation in Venezuela could prompt non-nuclear states to reconsider their security strategies.
Australia confirmed it will repatriate citizens from the MV Hondius cruise ship hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak, with quarantine on arrival. Spain, France are evacuating nationals as three deaths are confirmed. In the U.S., two passengers have been isolated after testing positive for the virus.
U.S. President Donald Trump called Iran’s response to Washington’s latest peace proposal “totally unacceptable” amid talks over ending the war and securing shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. A cargo vessel near Qatar was hit by a projectile as Kuwait reported hostile drones in its airspace.
President Donald Trump called Iran’s response to a US war proposal “totally unacceptable” after Tehran sent its reply through mediator Pakistan, according to IRNA. Qatar’s al-Thani also warned Iran against using the Strait of Hormuz as “a pressure tool”.
A Turkish Airlines plane caught fire in its landing gear tyres after landing at Tribhuvan International Airport on Monday (11 May) morning, temporarily disrupting airport operations, officials said.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has cited Azerbaijan as an example of what he described as a sovereign foreign policy, recalling remarks made by President Ilham Aliyev during talks in Yerevan, where he sharply criticised resolutions adopted against his country by the European Parliament.
French President Emmanuel Macron opened France’s first-ever business summit in an English-speaking African nation on Monday (11 May), as Paris seeks to strengthen ties across the continent following a decline in influence in several former French colonies.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer will attempt a political fightback on Monday (11 May) with a speech promising closer ties with the European Union after Labour suffered heavy local election losses and growing calls for his resignation.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that three Polish nationals and two Moldovan citizens had been released from detention in Belarus and Russia, highlighting what he described as growing diplomatic cooperation with Minsk.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel aims to eventually end its reliance on U.S. financial military support within the next decade. The decision signals a long-term shift in the country’s defence policy as it seeks to deepen ties with Gulf states.
Thaksin Shinawatra, Thailand’s billionaire former prime minister, has been released on parole from prison on Monday (11 May). Shinawatra served part of an eight-month sentence that capped years of legal battles, political turmoil and controversy surrounding his return from exile.
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