Russia Is the World’s Worst Patron
Foreign Affairs • • general
Key Points:
- The U.S. conducted a military operation capturing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, prompting Russia to condemn the act as armed aggression while urging their release, yet Moscow took no concrete action to assist Maduro despite prior strategic partnerships.
- Russia's failure to protect Maduro reflects a broader pattern of diminished capacity to support authoritarian allies, as its focus and resources remain heavily tied to the ongoing war in Ukraine, limiting its influence in Venezuela and other regions like Syria and Iran.
- Historically, Russia's relationship with Venezuela evolved from pragmatic arms sales under Chávez to a more ideologically driven alliance under Maduro, involving significant financial investments and military cooperation, but these efforts have largely failed to secure Maduro's regime.
- The Kremlin's inability to provide effective intelligence, maintain
