By Gloria Ogbonna
Russia’s response to the dramatic arrest of its longtime ally, Venezuelan narco-terrorist strongman Nicolás Maduro, has been strikingly muted, raising fresh questions about Moscow’s ability—or willingness—to defend its partners on the global stage.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the Kremlin had issued no direct condemnation of the United States by name and made no concrete move to challenge Washington following the surprise operation that led to Maduro’s capture.
Instead of saber-rattling or diplomatic escalation, Moscow limited its immediate reaction to cautionary measures. Russia’s Ministry of Economic Development advised Russian citizens to avoid travel to Venezuela, warning of potential threats to their safety “in connection with armed aggression by the United States,” including the risk of additional attacks.
The ministry also recommended suspending all tour packages to Venezuela, allowing travelers to cancel existing bookings with full refunds. Russians already in the country were urged to remain vigilant and closely follow guidance from local authorities and Russian diplomatic officials.
The Russian embassy in Caracas sought to project calm, stating that it remained fully operational and was not aware of any Russian citizens being harmed during the U.S. military operation carried out early Saturday morning. On Tuesday, Moscow formally welcomed Delcy Rodríguez as Venezuela’s interim president.
While the Russian Foreign Ministry criticized what it called “blatant neocolonial threats and foreign armed aggression,” the statement conspicuously avoided naming either the United States or President Donald Trump.
“We firmly insist that Venezuela must be guaranteed the right to determine its own destiny without any destructive external interference,” the ministry declared.
It added that Russia “welcomes the efforts undertaken by the official authorities of this country to protect state sovereignty and national interests” and reaffirmed its “unwavering solidarity with the Venezuelan people and government.”
Despite the official rhetoric, many in Russia expressed disbelief and frustration over President Vladimir Putin’s apparent inaction. Critics and commentators alike questioned why the Kremlin failed to lift a finger to protect Maduro, a leader Moscow had backed politically, economically, and rhetorically for years.
Al Jazeera News highlighted a viral meme circulating on Russian social media that captured the growing disillusionment.
The meme featured a quote attributed to Putin—“We don’t give up on our own”—followed by images of fallen or abandoned Russian allies, from Libya’s Muammar Qaddafi in 2011 to Syria’s Bashar Assad in 2024, and now Maduro. As of Tuesday, Putin himself had yet to issue a personal statement on Maduro’s arrest.
Discontent has also simmered within Russia’s pro-war and nationalist circles. Several military bloggers pointed out that U.S. forces appeared to bypass Russian-supplied air defense systems in Venezuela with ease, further damaging the reputation of Russian weaponry already bruised by setbacks during the prolonged and costly war in Ukraine.
Analysts quoted by Al Jazeera offered a range of explanations for Moscow’s restraint. Some speculated that Putin may have quietly written off Maduro during a meeting with President Trump in Alaska last August as part of a broader economic and security understanding.
Others suggested that Putin is hoping Trump will recognize and respect mutual “spheres of influence,” allowing Russia to preserve what leverage it still has elsewhere.
Another factor may be Russia’s desire to protect its investments and remaining assets in Venezuela. Openly antagonizing Washington, analysts argue, could put those interests at risk. Galiya Ibragimova of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace suggested that Putin may also be unnerved by evidence of betrayal within Maduro’s inner circle.
“Putin is most frightened by the fact that in Maduro’s coterie, there was someone who leaked information to the Americans,” Ibragimova told Al Jazeera. “With his paranoid conviction that everyone is after him, Putin will first and foremost tighten his own security.”
Politico reported that Maduro’s fall has contributed to a broader sense of gloom in Moscow, as Russia’s network of client regimes appears to be unraveling.
Former allies such as Armenia and Azerbaijan are increasingly turning toward the West, while the United States reasserts its influence in the Western Hemisphere under what Trump has jokingly dubbed the “Donroe Doctrine.” At the same time, Russia remains bogged down in the grinding and costly war in Ukraine, limiting its ability to project power elsewhere.
“Putin must be unbearably jealous,” said Abbas Gallyamov, a former Kremlin speechwriter. “What Putin promised to do in Ukraine, Trump did in half an hour.”
Gallyamov added that Putin himself had created a world in which success is the only currency that matters—and now, he argued, Washington has demonstrated that success while Russia’s humiliation is on full display.
Nationalist voices echoed the frustration. Igor Girkin, a prominent hardliner, lamented what he called another blow to Russia’s image, recalling Moscow’s silence when the United States and Israel dismantled Iran’s nuclear program last year.
Another nationalist commentator, Aleksandr Dugin, complained that many Russians are now asking why their country cannot deal with its enemies as decisively as the United States did in Venezuela.
“Do like Trump,” Dugin wrote bitterly. “Do it better than Trump. And faster.”
Politico wryly noted that Putin could not even offer Maduro the traditional final perk of alliance with Moscow—a luxurious retirement in exile. Having launched a full-scale war against Ukraine in 2022, Russia now finds itself in no position to score even symbolic points by accusing Washington of violating Venezuelan sovereignty.
As Maduro’s arrest reverberates around the world, the episode has become a stark illustration of Russia’s diminishing influence and the growing perception that Moscow’s promises of loyalty to its allies may no longer carry the weight they once did.
Source Breitbart
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