US President Donald Trump has rejected suggestions that Washington could carry out a dramatic operation against Russian President Vladimir Putin, similar to the recent capture of Venezuela&rsquo;s former leader Nicolas Maduro.
Responding to remarks by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, which hinted that Putin could be next after Maduro&rsquo;s arrest, Trump said such a move would not be required. Speaking to reporters, he said he did not believe it was &ldquo;necessary&rdquo; and added that he had always expected the United States to maintain a workable relationship with the Russian leader.
Trump was addressing the media during a meeting with senior executives from the US oil and gas sector. While downplaying the idea of direct action against Putin, he expressed strong disappointment that the war in Ukraine had not yet ended. He said he had previously resolved several global conflicts and believed the Russia-Ukraine war should have been among the easier ones to settle.
Russia&rsquo;s invasion of Ukraine began in 2022 and has resulted in heavy military and civilian losses on both sides. Putin is currently facing an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court over alleged war crimes in Ukraine, a factor that has complicated diplomatic efforts to bring the conflict to a close.
Trump said he regretted not being able to halt the fighting sooner, pointing to the scale of recent casualties. He noted that tens of thousands of soldiers had died in a single month, many of them Russian, and claimed that Russia&rsquo;s economy was under strain. Despite this, he said he remained hopeful that the conflict would eventually be resolved, adding that he wished it could have happened faster to prevent further loss of life.
Zelensky&rsquo;s comments came in the aftermath of a surprise US military operation in Caracas that led to Maduro being taken into custody and transferred to the United States to face charges related to drug trafficking and other offences. The operation shocked governments worldwide and prompted speculation about whether similar actions could be taken against other leaders accused of serious crimes.
Trump, however, firmly ruled out that possibility in Putin&rsquo;s case, making it clear that he would not authorise a comparable mission against the Russian president.

US President says action against Russian leader is unnecessary, voices regret over Ukraine

Trump dismisses idea of targeting Putin

US President says action against Russian leader is unnecessary, voices regret over Ukraine

January 10, 2026 | 14:50 IST