Source: The Atlantic
by Simon Shuster, Nancy A Youssef, & Gisela Salim-Peyer
“Vladimir Putin’s Russia may seem like an obvious place for Maduro to turn as he scours the world for well-armed friends willing to help him withstand a U.S. pressure campaign that threatens his 12-year reign. … Earlier this year, Maduro signed what he called a ‘historic and strategic’ pact with Putin to expand trade and military cooperation. But the Kremlin’s response to Maduro’s existential crisis has been underwhelming for a country that considers itself a great power. … Maduro may be about to learn the same difficult lesson absorbed by the governments of other Russian allies, including Armenia, Syria, and Iran. They all recently appealed to the Kremlin for help only to discover that the war in Ukraine has taken such a toll, and remains such a priority, that Russia’s ability to come to the rescue is severely diminished.” (11/12/25)