But Kyiv also takes great pleasure in seeing Maduro, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, being taken for trial to the U.S. — proof of the futility of previous Russian arms sales and security guarantees from the Kremlin.
“The Maduro dictatorship helped Putin. Now, Putin lost his ally — this is a plus for us,” Oleksandr Merezhko, head of the Ukrainian parliament’s foreign relations committee and co-head of the Ukrainian parliament’s Free Venezuela friendship group, told POLITICO.
“This situation could lead to a weakening of Russia on the international stage, a fall in oil prices and, accordingly, a decrease in revenues for the Russian military machine,” Merezhko added, noting that Ukraine could also benefit if Venezuela starts developing in a democratic direction under U.S. pressure.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has avoided saying much about Venezuela. His country hadn’t recognized Maduro as Venezuela’s legitimate president, and the Ukrainian leader is extremely gun-shy about criticizing Trump.
Ukraine’s foreign ministry expressed hope for “further developments in accordance with the principles of international law, prioritising democracy, human rights, and the interests of Venezuelans.”
But Zelenskyy did take a dig at Putin, who, like Maduro, is also clinging to power after running roughshod over democratic principles.