Will Trump send troops to capture Putin?

Washington: Daysafter his military operation in Venezuela that led to the capture of Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro, US President Donald Trump responded to a question from a reporter about whether he would consider sending military to capture Russian President Vladimir Putin. He played down the suggestion, saying such a move was “not necessary” even as he voiced deep disappointment over the Ukraine war.

Asked about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s cryptic remarks hinting that Putin could be next after Maduro’s seizure, Trump told reporters, “I don’t think it’s going to be necessary. I think we’re going to have a - and always had - a great relationship with him.”

Speaking during a meeting with top US oil and gas executives, Trump added that he was “very disappointed” the conflict had not yet ended. “I settled eight wars. I thought this would be in the middle of the pack or maybe one of the easier ones,” he said, referring to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has been raging since 2022.

Putin is currently the subject of an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court in The Hague over alleged war crimes in Ukraine, a factor that has further complicated diplomatic efforts to end the fighting.

Zelensky, whose country continues to resist Russian forces, made an oblique reference to Putin while reacting to the Maduro episode, saying that if this is how a “dictator” must be treated, then “the United States knows what to do next.” Trump, however, publicly rejected the notion that he would order a similar mission against the Russian leader. Recounting the human cost of the war, Trump said he regretted not being able to stop it sooner. “Last month, they lost 31,000 people. Many of them were Russian soldiers.

The Russian economy is doing poorly. I think we are going to end up getting it settled. I wish we could have done it quicker because a lot of people are dying, mostly soldiers,” he said.