14.01.2026 01:00
The operation carried out by the United States in Venezuela, which resulted in the detention of Nicolas Maduro, has brought back to the forefront a speech made by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2021. Putin stated that Western powers, particularly the United States, have disregarded international law and engaged in arbitrary interventions, criticizing the events in strong terms. Following the U.S. operation in Venezuela, social media users began to reshare Putin's remarks.
The "Operation Absolute Resolve," carried out by the United States on January 3, 2026, against Venezuela, resulting in the capture of Nicolas Maduro, triggered a global legal debate. In this process, Russian President Vladimir Putin's historic speech at a Defense Ministry meeting in 2021 has resurfaced in the world agenda as a text that "predicted the events down to the last detail."
HISTORIC SPEECH GOES VIRAL AGAIN
In late 2021, addressing Russian military commanders, Putin stated that Western powers, particularly the United States, were making "arbitrary" interventions by sidelining international law and criticized the events in strong terms. Putin used the following expressions that day:
"They bombed Yugoslavia. On what grounds? Were there UN Security Council sanctions? Where is Yugoslavia, where is the United States? They destroyed the country. Yes, there was an internal conflict, they had their own problems. But who gave the right to attack a European capital? No one!
They just made a decision. The satellites came from behind to support them. This is how international law works.
"ON WHAT GROUNDS DID THEY ENTER IRAQ?"
So, on what grounds did they enter Iraq? Under the pretext of developing weapons of mass destruction. They entered, they devastated the country. They created a center for international terrorism. Then they said they were wrong. After that, they said, 'Intelligence misled us.' Wow! They ruined the country. 'The intelligence was wrong,' that's all. The entire explanation is this. It turns out there were no weapons of mass destruction there. On the contrary, what once existed was properly destroyed.
So how did they enter Syria? Were there UN Security Council sanctions? No! They do whatever they want!"
2026 VENEZUELA INTERVENTION BREAKS SHARING RECORDS
After the operation carried out by the United States with 150 aircraft and Delta Force units in Caracas, social media users began to share Putin's words combined with images from Venezuela.
Putin's criticism of "unjustified intervention," which he pointed out in 2021, was reignited by Washington's execution of the Venezuela operation without United Nations (UN) approval, entirely citing its own national jurisdiction (narcoterrorism allegations).
While the international press interpreted this move by the United States as "the Putinization of foreign policy," pro-Russian accounts brought the video to global charts by stating, "Putin had said years ago that this lawlessness would knock on everyone's door."