Is Trump’s Venezuela operation a ‘gift to Putin,’ and what is the state of Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’?

At first glance, the U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro might look like an obvious disaster for Vladimir Putin. Russia has lost a key partner, and the prospect of Venezuelan oil flooding the market could depress prices even more, further constraining the Kremlin’s ability to fund its war against Ukraine. Then there’s the embarrassing contrast between the U.S. operation in Caracas, which was over in hours, and Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which is now entering its fifth year. But the reality might be more complicated. To better understand what Trump’s Venezuela operation could mean for Moscow, Meduza spoke with political scientist Seva Gunitsky and Russian oil-industry expert Craig Kennedy. Timestamps for this episode: (2:17) Why Maduro’s ouster could be good for Putin (16:00) A turning point for the global order (24:36) The sorry state of the Russian oil market (35:58) Washington’s seizure of a Russian-flagged ship Как поддержать нашу редакцию — даже если вы в России и вам очень страшно