US: Closing in on Maduro?

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Global Recap
August 20, 2025 • Read in: 7 minutes

Hi Global Recap readers,

Yesterday, when President Trump and his allies mentioned security guarantees for Ukraine, many wondered whether this implied US boots on the ground.

  • Today, he appears to have clarified that (see below). But “no boots” could mean no physical boots. There's still air.

  • I also noticed many cheering Trump for clarifying this, while others cheered the idea of boots on the ground in Venezuela to potentially remove Maduro.

Why celebrate one scenario while criticizing the other? 👇

🇻🇪 VENEZUELA
Maduro Mobilizes Militia Against US

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro just activated 4.5 million militia members nationwide after the US signaled a military buildup near Latin American waters.

  • Trigger: The Trump administration doubled its reward to $50 million for information leading to Maduro’s arrest on drug trafficking charges.

  • Deployment: Reuters reported three US Navy destroyers and 4,000 personnel could be near Venezuela’s territorial waters within 36 hours, though the Pentagon later denied ships were en route. When asked about this, Press Secretary Leavitt was elusive.

  • Force: Venezuela’s active armed forces number up to 150,000, with the militia—created under Hugo Chávez—serving as a vast reserve.

  • Rhetoric: Maduro called US threats “extravagant” and vowed “missiles and rifles for the working class.”

📌 Context: Washington and Caracas cut formal ties in 2019, with the US labeling Maduro illegitimate and accusing him of leading the Cartel of the Suns. Venezuela rejects the charges, framing them as political defamation.

🇺🇸 UNITED STATES
Trump Rules Out Troops in Ukraine

Even as the US might be putting boots on the ground in Venezuela, President Donald Trump publicly assured that no US soldiers will be sent to defend Ukraine against Russia, clearing the ambiguity he left hanging just a day earlier when he said Ukraine would get security guarantees.”

  • Statement: On Fox & Friends, Trump said, “Well, you have my assurance, and I’m president,” when pressed on future troop involvement.

  • Talks: The pledge followed hours of White House negotiations with Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders on ending the war.

  • Terms: Trump declared Ukraine’s NATO membership and reclaiming Crimea “impossible,” signaling concessions in any peace deal.

  • Next: He says Vladimir Putin agreed to meet Zelenskyy directly, though the Kremlin has not confirmed yet.

However, he also said this (around 13:30):

"When it comes to security, (Europeans) are willing to put people on the ground. We're willing to help them with things, especially, probably if you could talk about the air, because there's nobody has the kind of stuff we have…"

📌 Context: Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 and invaded Ukraine in 2022. Kyiv has sought NATO protection and full territorial restoration, both of which Moscow rejects.

🇮🇳 INDIA
Modi Warms to China

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (left) and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (right)

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi just hailed “steady progress” with Beijing after meeting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in New Delhi, locking in plans for his first China trip in seven years.

  • Flights: Direct routes, frozen since 2020, will restart, though no date is set.

  • Trade: Commerce will reopen at three points along the 3,488 km (2,167 miles) border. Visa rules for business travelers are also getting looser.

  • Border: Talks also included troop pullbacks and delimitation.

  • Summit: Modi’s headed to Tianjin on August 31 for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization meet. China’s calling it “highly significant.”

📌 Context: Relations cratered after a 2020 border clash killed 20 Indian and 4 Chinese soldiers, halting high-level contact until late 2024, when both sides quietly began rebuilding ties.

After the US slapped a 50 percent tariff on most Indian goods, India seems to be leaning more openly toward China and Russia—even if it's just for optics.

🇮🇱 ISRAEL
Israel Weighs Hamas Deal

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

Jerusalem is quietly studying a Hamas-approved phased hostage-ceasefire proposal, even as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly insists on an all-or-nothing release. It has reportedly said that it will respond to the proposal by Friday.

  • Terms: Hamas would free 10 living hostages and return 18 bodies in exchange for a 60-day ceasefire, over 1,000 detainees, and hundreds of long-term prisoners.

  • Shift: Netanyahu, who once backed phased swaps, now demands all 50 hostages at once alongside Hamas’s disarmament and Gaza’s demilitarization.

  • Pressure: Mass protests across Israel, joined by universities, tech firms, and local authorities, are pushing for a comprehensive deal.

  • Mediation: Qatar, Egypt, and US envoy Steve Witkoff are brokering talks, with Israeli negotiators engaging despite official denials.