Kidnapping of President Maduro by the U.S. Could Be an Act of War: Medvedev
Former President Dmitri Medvedev. Photo: TASS
February 2, 2026 Hour: 9:46 am
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Former Russian president calls the incident a violation of international law.
On Monday, Dmitry Medvedev, former Russian President and current deputy chairman of the Security Council, rejected the kidnapping by the United States of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, which took place on Jan. 3.
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In an interview with media outlets, he said the U.S. “theft” of President Maduro has destroyed international relations and could be considered by Caracas an act of war.
“What has happened to President Maduro is obviously a violation of any norm of international law. It breaks the entire system of international relations,” he said, adding that if U.S. President Donald Trump were to be “abducted” by a foreign power, Washington would undoubtedly regard it as an act of war.
Medvedev has been sharply critical of the U.S. aggression against the homeland of Simon Bolivar and Hugo Chavez. Shortly after the attack of Jan. 3, he said 2026 will be remembered for the U.S. kidnapping of Venezuelan President Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.
The former Russian president described the U.S. action against Venezuela as “an absolutely vile act of brutality” and said U.S. imperialism now faces two possible scenarios.
“Either the U.S. quietly releases the kidnapped Venezuelan president under some pretext to save face — which is unlikely — or he becomes the Latin American version of Nelson Mandela. The latter seems more likely. In that case, his name will be etched in South American history alongside those of Bolivar, Miranda, and Chavez,” he said.
Regarding the second possibility, Medvedev said political pressure arising from global popular mobilization would be a crucial factor. Even if “Trump, out of sheer stubbornness, refuses to pardon Maduro later on, public pressure will almost certainly force” any successor to do so, he said.
The former Russian president also lashed out at the White House for attacking Venezuela out of a desire for its energy reserves and for dismissing numerous dialogue proposals put forward by Caracas. “Oil is the key factor here,” Medvedev said, adding that in the long term, no less important will be the defense of sovereignty by the Bolivarian government.
teleSUR/ JF
Sources: TASS – AP
