Kyiv, Ukraine – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made a political bombshell during a press conference at the presidential office in Kyiv on Wednesday, calling on the new US administration under Donald Trump to carry out a special military operation targeting Putin’s most prominent ally, Chechen Republic President Ramzan Kadyrov, similar to the operation to arrest Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
“The Maduro model” as a tool to exert pressure on Moscow
Zelensky cited the swift operation carried out by US special forces in Caracas on January 3, which resulted in Maduro’s capture and transfer to New York, calling for a similar scenario to be repeated with the Chechen leader. “They have the tools, they know how to do it,” Zelensky said sharply. “Look at Maduro. Everyone saw the result, the whole world saw it. Let them carry out some kind of operation with… what’s his name… Kadyrov, with this murderer.” Zelensky argued that ousting Kadyrov, who has sent thousands of fighters to Ukraine, would make Russian President Vladimir Putin “think twice” before continuing the war and would demonstrate Washington’s ability to destabilize the Russian regime if it so desired.
Kadyrov responds: “Any entry into Chechnya is without exit.”
The Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov was quick to respond, calling Zelensky a “clown” on his Telegram channel and mocking his appeal to the Americans. Kadyrov wrote, “Zelya (a derogatory nickname for Zelensky), at least try to be a man and don’t humiliate yourself by asking others to kidnap me… Save face.” He concluded his response with a blatant challenge, asserting that any attempt to enter Chechen territory would be a one-way trip.
Regional context: Implications of Operation “Absolute Resolve”
These statements come at a time when the world is experiencing the repercussions of the US “Operation Absolute Resolve” in Venezuela, which ousted the Maduro regime and angered Moscow. Analysts believe that Zelensky’s call for this escalation represents the culmination of a “verbal escalation” ahead of potential peace negotiations in the first half of 2026.
International reactions
These statements sparked widespread controversy on social media platforms, with some considering them a clever attempt by Zelensky to test the seriousness of the Trump administration in using hard power, while others described them as a “dangerous gamble” that could lead to an explosion of the situation in the Caucasus and expand the scope of the conflict to include a direct confrontation between Washington and Moscow.
