Expert Warns Donald Trump's Maduro Capture Is 'Might Is Right' Gift To Putin — Here's Why

US President Donald Trump's dramatic decision to seize Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro has triggered global alarm, with security experts warning it could legitimise the very logic underpinning Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine.

The operation, carried out by US forces in Caracas in early January, has been described by critics as a unilateral show of raw power that risks eroding international norms.

While the White House insists the move enforces US law, analysts argue it hands Moscow a ready-made justification for territorial aggression under the banner of strength.

The arrest happened quickly and without international consultation. Within hours, Trump publicly claimed the US was now 'running' Venezuela.

Emergency discussions followed at the United Nations, while security analysts warned the operation could weaken long-standing international norms against forceful regime change.

'Trump's Might Is Right Gift To Putin'

Security experts say the way Maduro was seized matters as much as the arrest itself. Professor Anthony Glees, a security expert at the University of Buckingham, warned that the action risks normalising the use of raw power.

'Since Trump now seems to think that might is right, that justifies Putin's foul war of aggression on Ukraine and Xi's vile attempts to bully Taiwan into submission,' Glees told the Daily Star.

He argued that the US decision to remove a foreign leader by military force allows Moscow to draw uncomfortable parallels. Putin, before invading Ukraine in 2022, questioned the country's legitimacy and falsely accused its government of neo-Nazism.

'Trump's apparent embrace of power politics echoes the same reasoning Putin used before launching Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022,' he said.

Glees said Russia could now point to Venezuela and argue that great powers act when it suits them.

Impact on Western Europe

The fallout could be felt across Western Europe, particularly in the UK. Glees described Trump's decision as a possible turning point in relations between the US and its European allies.

'Trump's Venezuelan coup shows yet again how weak we are in the UK and how much we need strong leadership and strong weapons capability amongst all the European NATO member states,' he said.

He stressed that Britain was neither informed nor consulted before the operation. 'We were not told, let alone consulted,' Glees added.

He warned that European states can no longer assume Washington will always act as their security backstop, urging them to invest faster in conventional military strength.

About Maduro's Arrest

Nicolas Maduro, 63, ruled Venezuela for more than a decade after first winning the presidency in 2013, following the death of Hugo Chavez. His re-elections in 2018 and 2024 were widely disputed. In 2019, Venezuela's National Assembly declared his rule illegitimate, and more than 50 countries, including the US, refused to recognise him.

US prosecutors have described Maduro as the 'de facto but illegitimate ruler' of Venezuela. He was captured during a pre-dawn raid in Caracas that Venezuelan officials say left at least 40 people dead, including civilians and security personnel.

After his removal, Vice President Delcy Rodríguez was sworn in as acting president.

Maduro Pleads Not Guilty

Maduro appeared in Manhattan federal court on 5 January 2026, alongside his wife Cilia Flores, where both pleaded not guilty to all charges. The former president told the court, 'I am innocent. I am not guilty. I am a decent man,' insisting he remained Venezuela's legitimate leader.

He also claimed he had been illegally seized, calling himself 'a prisoner of war.' Maduro and Flores are being held at the Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn, with their next court date set for 17 March 2026.

At the United Nations, Secretary-General António Guterres said he was 'deeply concerned' that international legal norms may have been breached, signalling the issue is far from resolved.