Citing Maduro capture, Medvedev suggests ‘kidnapping of neo-Nazi Merz could be an excellent twist'

Medvedev cites Maduro case, targets Merz

Citing the US seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro as an example, Russia’s Security Council deputy chairman and former president Dmitry Medvedev suggested that German Chancellor Friedrich Merz could be targeted in a hypothetical kidnapping.

Speaking to state news agency Tass on Sunday, Medvedev said: “The kidnapping of the neo-Nazi Merz could be an excellent twist in this carnival of events.” He added that such a scenario “was not unrealistic.”

“There are even grounds for prosecuting him in Germany, so it would be no loss, especially since the citizens are suffering needlessly,” Medvedev added.

Medvedev, who led Russia from 2008 to 2012, also criticised US President Donald Trump’s actions in Venezuela, describing them as illegal but consistent with American interests.

Maduro was arrested over the weekend in a surprise US military operation in Caracas and flown to New York to face narcotrafficking charges. Maduro, 63, and his wife, Cilia Flores, were removed from the city on Saturday in an operation involving helicopters, fighter jets, and naval forces.

“It must be acknowledged that, despite the obvious unlawfulness of Trump’s behaviour, one cannot deny a certain consistency in his actions. He and his team defend their country’s national interests quite harshly,” Medvedev told Tass.

He suggested the US regards Latin America as its “backyard” and that Trump’s main aim in Venezuela was to secure leverage over the country’s oil supplies. “Uncle Sam’s main motivation has always been simple: other people’s supplies,” Medvedev said, adding that if a similar operation were conducted against a stronger country, it would be considered an act of war.

Russia has maintained close ties with Venezuela, including energy cooperation, military links, and diplomatic support, backing Caracas in trade and investment efforts even amid heightened US-Russia tensions over Latin America.

(With inputs from Reuters)