A Venezuelan Leader Looking for the Door

Here's an interesting development: As President Donald Trump cranks up the pressure on Venezuela, it looks like Nicolás Maduro might actually be shopping around for a soft landing. Russia and Belarus both contacted the Venezuelan president on Thursday, and the timing is hard to ignore.

According to sources cited by Reuters, Maduro told Trump during a phone call last month that he'd be willing to leave Venezuela if he and his family received full legal amnesty. That's a pretty significant admission from someone who's been clinging to power since 2013, when he took over after his mentor Hugo Chávez died.

The Trump administration doesn't recognize Maduro as Venezuela's legitimate president, and neither do most Western governments. They called last year's election, which Maduro claims to have won, a complete sham. Since 2019, more than 50 countries have refused to acknowledge Maduro as Venezuela's head of state, according to the U.S. Department of State.

Belarus Rolls Out the Welcome Mat

Alexander Lukashenko, the Belarusian president and close Russian ally, met with Venezuela's ambassador to Moscow on Thursday. This was their second meeting in just 17 days. Last month, Belarusian state news agency Belta reported that Lukashenko told the envoy Maduro would always be welcome in Belarus and suggested it was time for a visit.

That's not exactly subtle.

Putin Offers Support While Trump Turns Up the Heat

Russian President Vladimir Putin also called Maduro on Thursday and "reaffirmed his support for the policy of Maduro's government, aimed at protecting national interests and sovereignty in the face of growing external pressure," according to the Kremlin.

That external pressure is coming largely from Trump, who has ramped up U.S. military presence in the Caribbean in recent months. Speaking to Politico this week, Trump warned that Maduro's time in power is limited, though he didn't specify whether American forces might intervene directly.

The stakes here are high. Maduro has been charged with heading the Cartel de los Soles, which the U.S. classifies as a foreign terrorist organization. So this isn't just about political legitimacy—there are serious legal consequences waiting if he loses power without some kind of deal.