Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on 7/1 that the raid and capture operation targeting Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro demonstrated the US's ability to influence Russia if it truly desired.
"The US needs to pressure Russia," he stated. "They have the tools, and they know how to act. The Maduro case is an example. The US conducted an operation, and the world saw the results. They did it swiftly. Let the US carry out an operation involving Kadyrov. Perhaps then Russian President Vladimir Putin will see and have to reflect."
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President Volodymyr Zelensky at a press conference in Paris, France on 6/1. Photo: AFP |
Ramzan Kadyrov, a colonel general of the Russian national guard, has led the Chechen Republic since 2007. He is considered a close ally of President Putin, strongly supports the campaign in Ukraine, and has deployed special forces there to participate in the conflict.
The Chechen leader quickly responded to President Zelensky with a social media post, accusing the Ukrainian leader of trying to undermine the peace negotiation process and calling on Zelensky to "act himself."
"He proposed that the US administration kidnap me," the Chechen leader stated. "Zelensky implied he would not mind standing by and watching from a safe distance as others punished those who offended him. Save face and don't humiliate yourself. If you are a man, you should understand how embarrassing your words and demands sound."
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Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov speaks in the capital Grozny in 2022. Photo: AP |
In the early hours of 3/1, the US launched "Operation Absolute Resolve," deploying approximately 150 aircraft to simultaneously strike multiple targets in Venezuela. This facilitated special forces to move by helicopter into the capital Caracas to apprehend President Nicolas Maduro and his wife. The US operation drew strong criticism from the United Nations and many countries worldwide.
A few hours later, at a press conference in Kyiv, Zelensky joked that the US should also conduct a similar operation targeting the Russian President.
By Huyen Le (AFP, RT)
