United States International Relations

• An Operation in Venezuela - President Trump announced that U.S. forces had captured Venezuela’s president, Nicolás Maduro, following a “large-scale attack.”
• The U.S. Has Been Building Up Forces Off Venezuela for Months - The United States military’s Southern Command said in December that about 15,000 troops were in the Caribbean region.
• Explosions Reported in Venezuela’s Capital - It was not immediately clear what caused the blasts. The United States has been building pressure on Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela’s authoritarian president, for months.
• Oil Tanker Fleeing U.S. Coast Guard Broadcasts Location in North Atlantic - Russia requested this week that the United States end its pursuit of the vessel, which was intercepted in the Caribbean on its way to pick up oil in Venezuela.
• Why a Nuclear Plant Is a Big Sticking Point in the Ukraine Peace Plan - The Zaporizhzhia plant, occupied by Russia, would be crucial to powering Ukraine’s postwar recovery.
• Russia Asks United States to Stop Pursuit of Fleeing Oil Tanker - The tanker, which had been sailing to Venezuela to pick up oil, has claimed Russian protection, although the U.S. authorities say it is a stateless vessel.
• Venezuela Detains Americans Amid Growing U.S. Pressure - The number of American citizens held in Venezuela has grown since the start of the U.S. military and economic campaign against President Nicolás Maduro.
• 6 Takeaways on the Unwinding U.S.-Ukraine Alliance - A Times investigation reveals the inside story of the Trump administration’s chaotic push for a peace deal and its erratic role in the war.
• The C.I.A. Strike on Venezuela: What to Know - The drone attack, said to be on a dock where drugs were being prepared for loading on boats, represented a further escalation of the Trump administration’s campaign against Nicolás Maduro.
• U.S. Kills 2 in Strike in Pacific, as Trump Pressures Venezuela - The attack was the 30th announced by the U.S. military since early September. It came days after President Trump said the U.S. had struck a coastal site related to drugs and Venezuela.