{{dayPoint.date | date : 'd MMMM yyyy'}}

{{newsPoint.title}}

{{newsPoint.title+ ' '}}

{{newsPoint.subtitle}}

Trump says US now effectively runs Venezuela

Donald Trump explained that he had not personally been in contact with Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, who is acting as head of state, but noted that "she is cooperating" with the US

WASHINGTON, January 5. /TASS/. US President Donald Trump stated that the US is now effectively ruling Venezuela.

"We're dealing with the people who just got sworn in. And don't ask me who's in charge [of the country], because I'll give you an answer, and it'll be very controversial," Trump told reporters. In response to a follow-up question, the US leader said: "We're in charge [of Venezuela]." He explained that he had not personally been in contact with Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, who is acting as head of state, but noted that "she is cooperating" with the US.

On January 3, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil Pinto said that the US had attacked civilian and military targets in Caracas. He called Washington's actions military aggression. A state of emergency has been declared in the country. US President Donald Trump confirmed that his country had launched large-scale strikes on Venezuela. According to him, Maduro and his wife were captured and taken out of the country.

Tags

United States Venezuela Donald Trump

US Department of State drafting plans to reopen Embassy in Venezuela — AP

According to the news agency, resumption of operations would require several months

Thirty-two Cubans killed during US operation to capture Maduro — president

A two-day mourning period was announced on the island

Venezuela achieved victory at UN Security Council’s meeting — foreign minister

The international community officially recognized that the attack made on January 3 was the act contradicting the international law, Yvan Gil Pinto emphasized

Trump says US needs Greenland 'for defense'

The US President emphasized that the island is "surrounded by Russian and Chinese ships"

Air defenses down 55 Ukrainian drones over Russian regions during three hours

31 of them were destroyed over the Bryansk Region

Russia calls for immediate release of Maduro and his wife — UN envoy

"We resolutely condemn the US military aggression against Venezuela in violation of all international law norms," Vasily Nebenzya emphasized

Slovak PM reaffirms opposition to EU’s anti-Russia policies

According to Robert Fico, hostility toward Russia now dominates the EU’s foreign policy

EU sees Serbia as troops for Ukraine, not future member — ex-Serbian deputy PM

Aleksandar Vulin also said that the most recent EU-Western Balkans summit, which Serbia did not attend, was aimed at containing Belgrade

Venezuela's acting president could face something 'worse than Maduro' — Trump

According to Donald Trump, this is possible if Delcy Rodriguez's actions do not satisfy the US

Greenland’s PM urges Washington to halt pressure on island

Jens-Frederik Nielsen said Greenland remain open to dialogue

Russia bans entry to 28 Canadian supporters of neo-Nazism, MFA announces

This was done in response to unlawful anti-Russian entry restrictions earlier announced by Ottawa

Russia-Venezuela strategic partnership agreement comes into force

The agreement, initiated by the president, strengthens bilateral cooperation in political and economic spheres, including energy, mineral extraction, transport, and communications, as well as in security, counterterrorism, and counter-extremism

Russian troops liberate Bondarnoye community in Donetsk region over past day — top brass

The Ukrainian army lost roughly 1,300 troops in battles with Russian forces in all the frontline areas over the past 24 hours, according to the latest data on the special military operation in Ukraine released by Russia’s Defense Ministry

US operation may intensify instability in Venezuela, impact broader region — UN chief

According to Antonio Guterres, he is concerned that "it may set for how relations between and among states are conducted"

US triumph in Venezuela could turn into disaster — Russian senator

Alexey Pushkov opined that by attacking Venezuela and capturing its president, the US violated all norms, "once again stirring up the whole world, returning it to the savage imperialism of the 19th century"

Trump says many Cubans guarding Maduro killed during operation in Venezuela

"A lot of Cubans were killed yesterday," Donald Trump told reporters aboard his presidential plane

EU issues statement on Venezuela not supported by Hungary — foreign policy service

According to the statement, the principles of international law must be upheld by Venezuela, as the EU argued that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro lacked "democratic legitimacy"

Russian says warning systems failed during US strikes on Caracas

According to Ivan Pavlov, there is still silence on television

Trump makes no secret that true US purpose is to seize Venezuelan oil — Medvedev

According to him, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has repeatedly said that the current US administration’s true purpose is to grab their oil and other fossils

US interference in Iran’s affairs may destabilize entire region — security official

US President Donald Trump wrote earlier on January 2 on his Truth Social media platform that "If Iran shots and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue"

ICC ruling on Putin to cause disastrous consequences for international law — Medvedev

Dmitry Medvedev said ICC judges shouldn’t have raised their hand against a major nuclear power

Colombian president says he could take up arms after Trump’s threats

Gustavo Petro also expressed confidence the Colombian people would stand up for him

Professor Jeffrey Sachs is right: Ukraine risks losing Odessa, says Duma member

According to Alexey Chepa, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, Ukraine is losing ground every day

Kremlin says Russian special services have proofs of plot against Lukashenko

They also have confessions by some conspirators, according to the Kremlin spokesman

Kremlin stresses Chechen leader’s harsh statements taken out of context

Kadyrov’s words are taken out of context, the Kremlin spokesman stressed

Czech parliament Speaker may face resignation due to his critical statements on Ukraine

The parliamentary liberal opposition parties intend to submit to the Chamber of Deputies the question of stripping Okamura of his post as head of the lower house of the republic's highest legislative body

The Hague's policy of supporting Kiev leads to its deep involvement in conflict — diplomat

Vladimir Tarabrin, Russia’s Ambassador to the Netherlands, added that The Hague prefers to ignore the obvious consequences of this policy, including the prolongation of hostilities and the ever-increasing loss of life

Russian air defenses down 42 Ukrainian drones during four hours on Monday evening

16 of them were destroyed over the Belgorod Region

Air defenses down three Ukrainian drones over two Russian regions overnight — top brass

Two of them were destroyed over the Moscow Region

Russia to make every effort to prevent OPCW from becoming Western tool — envoy

In particular, Vladimir Tarabrin said Russia intends to continue informing OPCW member states about Kiev’s use of toxic chemicals and riot control agents

Ukraine’s terrorist attacks against Russia could be seen as ‘suicide’ for Kiev — Ritter

Commenting on the Ukrainian armed forces' attempt to attack Russian President Vladimir Putin's state residence, Former US intelligence officer and ex-UN inspector suggested that the CIA may have been involved in the operation

Trump says he spoke with Maduro one week ago, offered him his surrender

"He was not going a week ago," Trump added

European Commission struggles to assess US actions in Venezuela

The European Commission also declined to comment on whether it condemns civilian deaths following US actions

Neither Europe, nor US forces will oppose Trump’s policy toward Venezuela — expert

"We resemble Europe in 1936 more than we do the post-War West," Michael Brenner, former Director of the International Relations & Global Studies Program at the University of Texas said

North Korea launches two ballistic missiles toward Sea of Japan

Earlier, the South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff reported the launch of a missile by North Korea

Switzerland freezes assets of Venezuela’s Maduro and his inner circle

The measure is said to ensure that "any illicitly acquired assets cannot be transferred out of Switzerland in the current situation", the Swiss government said

Ukrainian Security Service head submits his resignation letter — lawmaker

A number of Ukrainian military leaders expressed their dissatisfaction with such plans

North Korea conducts hypersonic missile launch drills — news agency

According to the news agency, the drills aimed to assess the combat readiness of the hypersonic weapons system and confirm its effectiveness and mobility as part of the operational assessment of the war deterrence forces

Finnish politician says European Commission president building ‘Fourth Reich’

Armando Mema added that the EU, in its attempt to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia, is losing political weight

Brent oil price down to $60 per barrel on London’s ICE amid US attack on Venezuela

This happened due to US strikes on Venezuela

Press review: Russia may revise Ukraine talks post attack and China launches Taiwan drills

Top stories from the Russian press on Tuesday, December 30th

UN trying to get information on the ground about those killed in Venezuela — spokesperson

This was reported by the UN chief’s spokesperson Stephane Dujarric at a news briefing

Restoring peak oil production in Venezuela could take decades — US expert

Tom Kloza opined that it might be relatively easy with a friendly administration to get back to two million barrels per day but that would happen later this decade"

Greenland will not be taken over night — Prime Minister

Jens-Frederik Nielsen made his statements amid developments in Venezuela and a potential threat for Greenland from the United States

Black Sea Fleet rejects submarine surfacing reports near French coast

The fleet pointed out that "the submarine crew is currently conducting a routine inter-fleet transfer after performing missions as part of the Russian Navy’s standing task force stationed in the Mediterranean Sea"

US operation in Venezuela is 'very bad news' for Zelensky — news outlet

Even in the West, some argue that the US violated international law, the news outlet pointed out

Japan, Turkey, Canada, South Korea keen to join EU’s scheme to fund defense investment

EC Spokesperson Thomas Regnier said the commission will "now look into this request"

Europe to face collapse if it stops rearming — Polish PM

Donald Tusk’s remarks followed the recent US strike on Venezuela, as well as statements by US President Donald Trump about Washington’s territorial claims on Greenland, which is part of Denmark

Use of phones is cause of tragedy in Makeyevka — Russian Defense Ministry

A commission investigating circumstances of the incident is working and required measures are being taken to exclude such tragedies in the future

Exhumation of Soviet soldiers in Lvov 'degradation bordering on savagery' — Lavrov

The Russian foreign minister emphasized that despite the OSCE's declared commitment to defending and protecting human rights as one of the organization's fundamental aims, Western countries maintained a deathly silence while watching the actions of the Kiev regime

Xi Jinping urges Ireland to promote development of China-EU relations

The Chinese President noted that Beijing and Brussels should maintain a partnership approach, view relations in the long term, and resolve disagreements "objectively and rationally"

US will find it hard to bring oil companies back to Venezuela — expert

American energy expert Tom Kloza noted that it will be difficult due to the country's peculiarities and the situation on world markets

Over $300 bln paid for Russian gas stolen by West from Russia - Lavrov

Russian Foreign Minister stressed that Russia has decided to switch to rubles in payments for its gas in order to stop "the shameless robbery" by the West

Erdogan discussed Venezuela, Gaza, bilateral relations with Trump

The Turkish side communicated "the position on sensitive issues" for Turkey in the situation with Venezuela

Gazprom Neft posts 5.3% rise in hydrocarbons production for Q1, 1.8% increase in refining

Refining increased to 10.6 mln tons

Spartak Moscow FC announces appointment of Spain’s Carcedo as head coach

Juan Carcedo will assume the position of head coach on January 8 under a contract valid until the summer of 2028

Maduro to appear in New York court on January 5 — newspaper

According to court documents, Venezuelan President has been charged with conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine, and possession of weapons and explosive devices against the US

Kazakhstan’s 2022 unrest overseen by ‘revolution specialists’ — president

The instigators of the unrest "took advantage of the government’s decision to raise fuel prices and provoked mass demonstrations," Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said

Gazprom delivers 40.8 mln cubic meters of natural gas to Europe via Ukraine

Earlier reports with reference to data released on the Gas Transmission System Operator of Ukraine website said that Russian gas transit through Ukrainian territory might total 40.8 mln cubic meters on July 8

Dmitriev calls Europeans 'poor' after von der Leyen’s promise

"President of the European Commission promises to work even harder on Western civilization’s suicide in 2026," Russian Direct Investment Fund Kirill Dmitriev said

Half of Russia’s foreign exchange reserves frozen due to sanctions — Finance Minister

Anton Siluanov reiterated that the debts of countries that were unfriendly to Russia would be paid in rubles

Putin welcomes return of flag, anthem to Russian Paralympians at int'l competitions

The Russian president noted that throughout all these years, the Russian Paralympic Committee has been fulfilling an important, socially significant mission, uniting thousands of people with health limitations through its noble goals, introducing them to adaptive physical culture and sports, and helping them fully reveal their talents and demonstrate strong character and an indomitable will

China backs emergency UN Security Council meeting on US operation in Venezuela

Lin Jian added that countries have the full right to choose their own partners for cooperation and external powers should not interfere in their internal affairs under any pretext

US operation in Venezuela confirms ‘collapse’ of liberal world order — Hungarian PM

Viktor Orban said that if his party, Fidesz-Hungarian Civic Union, wins the parliamentary elections scheduled for April, Hungary will continue to pursue "a policy of peace and security"

FACTBOX: What we know about attack on Venezuela’s capital

US forces attacked civilian and military facilities in Caracas, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil Pinto said

Israel’s prime minister offers Putin mediation on Ukraine — Kremlin

The phone conversation was held at Israel’s initiative

Japan’s prime minister avoids criticizing US actions in Venezuela, Maduro’s capture

Sanae Takaichi emphasized the importance of the "swift restoration of democracy and stabilization of the situation" in Venezuela

Rosneft chief executive expects global oil demand to continue growing

"We see that the sector overall projects stable growth of oil consumption," Igor Sechin noted

Pro-Palestine activists smash up factory in UK over weapons supplies to Israel

The activists also left graffiti that said "There’s only one way this ends"

Venezuela asks to reopen US embassy in Caracas — Trump

Washington is thinking about it, the US leader said

Trump says US now effectively runs Venezuela

Donald Trump explained that he had not personally been in contact with Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, who is acting as head of state, but noted that "she is cooperating" with the US

Trump may designate Ukraine as 'disposable' in wake of attack on Venezuela — US blogger

The White House "now treats control over the Western Hemisphere as a core strategic priority - not merely as foreign policy, but as regime preservation," Jozef Schutzman said

Putin says Russia wants to build good relations with US

Public opinion polls in the United States show that there are many friends of Russia in the USA, Putin said

Russian Foreign Ministry condemns US armed aggression against Venezuela

The ministry emphasized that, under the current circumstances, "it is crucial, above all, to prevent further escalation and to focus on finding a way out of the situation through dialogue"

Zelensky blackmails Western handlers to get them secure his re-election — Russian diplomat

Vladimir Zelensky’s presidential powers expired on May 20, 2024

Russian armed forces liberate settlement of Podoly in Kharkov Region

The Russian defense ministry also reported that air defense systems have shot down 210 enemy fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles

France says US operation to capture Venezuela’s Maduro violates international law

The government’s spokeswoman, Maud Bregeon, said that Venezuela should now be given the opportunity to "build a future after Maduro"

Russian border security eliminates five saboteurs infiltrating from Ukraine

No Russian servicemen were injured during the attempted violation of the border

No Russians among 116 people injured in Swiss ski resort fire

The list of those injured includes 68 Swiss citizens, 21 Frenchmen, 10 Italians, two Polish citizens, four Serbians, a Belgian, an Australian, a Bosnian, a resident of the Republic of the Congo, a Luxembourgian, a Portuguese and a Czech national as well as four dual residents

LazerBuzz laser system hits FPV drone at 1 km range

According to LazerBuzz representatives, during testing, the system completely damaged the battery and other components of an FPV drone

Former US Marine slams US operation in Venezuela as 'catastrophic error'

John Mark Dougan warned that such actions lead to the destabilization of the entire international system

Mass protests in support of Maduro, his wife take place in Venezuela

Supporters of the head of state and the Bolivarian Revolution bravely took to the streets and squares of the capital despite the fact that it had been bombed and shelled by US Armed Forces the day before

Russia denies reports about alleged evacuation of its embassy from Venezuela

The Russian Foreign Ministry called for vigilance and not to succumb to Western provocations

Kallas wants EU to enter into a war with Russia and China — Dmitriev

When you hear EU, just think Ursula & Kaja — that tells you everything you need to know," Russia’s Special Presidential Envoy wrote on the X social network

Trump praises Maduro's decision to surrender

US special forces acted "very violently", Donald Trump said

Trump says hardly possible that Kiev attacked Russian president's residence

According to the US President, "there is something that happened fairly nearby," but it had nothing to do with the attack on the Russian leader's official residence

Press review: Zelensky peace plan is no-go for Russia and Trump puts on peacemaker hat

Top stories from the Russian press on Thursday, December 25th

UK, France hit Islamic State facility in Syria

"There is no indication of any risk having been posed to civilians by the strike, and all our aircraft returned safely," the UK Ministry of Defense said

Trump confirms he is not setting deadlines for settlement in Ukraine

The US leader has repeatedly said that he is not trying to set a deadline for this issue

Russian forces wipe out Ukrainian infantry near Kupyansk in Kharkov Region

According to the ministry, Russian reconnaissance drones monitor the enemy movements and then direct fire at them

Maduro rejected US offer in December to leave Venezuela for Turkey — NYT

According to the source, Maduro's reaction made it clear that he had no intention of seriously considering Washington's proposals

Delcy Rodriguez swore in as acting president of Venezuela

She promised to abide by the constitution and laws of the country, defend its territory and work for prosperity of the nation

Europe’s LNG imports hit record 142 bln cubic meters in 2025

In December, LNG imports also hit a record 12.7 billion cubic meters

Medvedev bashes US general’s idiotic remarks about Kaliningrad’s air defenses

The Russian PM commented on media reports citing the commander of the US Air Forces in Europe on Pentagon's plans to ‘crack’ the air defenses in the Kaliningrad Region in case of Russia's aggression

What Solzhenitsyn said about Putin, and vice versa

The prominent writer and historian, who was exiled to GULAG camp, was born on December 11, 1918

At least 40 people die after US attack on Venezuela — media

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil Pinto said on January 3 that the United States had attacked civilian and military facilities in Caracas

US oil companies seek to return to Venezuela's energy sector — Trump

The US leader said that "they're going to rebuild the infrastructure"

Botswana willing to cooperate with Russia in rare earths — top diplomat

According to Phenyo Butale, the foreign policy course being pursued by Botswana is that it is open to cooperation with everyone globally who is seeking mutually beneficial cooperation with it

Poland’s ex-President Walesa calls on West not to be limited by liberating Ukraine

According to Lech Walesa, it is necessary to push for changes in Russia’s political system

Medvedev comments on US aggression on Venezuela, double standards in use by Europe to TASS

According to the senior Russian security official, Washington no longer has the formal right to criticize Moscow for any actions

FACTBOX: Cases of abductions of heads of state

Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro was captured by fighters of the elite Delta force unit of the US army оn January 3, 2026