RT.com
04 Apr 2026, 10:38 GMT+10
Moscow would irreparably damage its reputation if it behaved like the US in Venezuela and Iran, Valentina Matviyenko said
Russia would lose all respect on the international stage if it emulated US military actions in Venezuela and Iran by attempting to abduct or assassinate Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky, Valentina Matviyenko, the head of Russia's Federation Council, has said.
In an interview with Rossiya-1 aired on Friday, Matviyenko ruled out capturing Zelensky in the same way the US seized Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro during a commando raid on Caracas three months ago.
"It is not our style. We are a country that respects itself and is respected by others. We would lose that respect if we resorted to such methods," Matviyenko said.
She added that although the US "achieved nothing" by killing Iran's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, "the stain on its reputation will remain in history forever."
READ MORE: Ukraine rocked by new multimillion-dollar corruption scandal
Matviyenko added, however, that Zelensky, whom she blamed for the Ukraine conflict, should "face trial ... and be punished for his actions."
Ukrainian officials have claimed they foiled multiple attempts on Zelensky's life in 2022, without providing details. The Kremlin has dismissed such claims as "completely false."
(RT.com)
Get a daily dose of South America Times news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to South America Times.
More InformationDUBAI, U.A.E.: The war in Iran showed no signs of ebbing with Israel saying it faced incoming fire, and Kuwait and Bahrain reporting...
VATICAN CITY: Since he was anointed the first U.S. leader of the global Catholic Church ten months ago, Pope Leo has mostly stayed...
BEIRUT, Lebanon: More than a million people have fled from southern and eastern Lebanon and entered Beirut's southern suburbs since...
LONDON, U.K.: Almost three dozen countries met on April 2 to exert diplomatic and political pressure to reopen the Strait of Hormuz,...
MADRID, Spain: A tunnel in the North African exclave of Ceuta, complete with a rail system and underground cranes used to smuggle...
NEW YORK CITY, New York: The leader of a sex-focused women's wellness company that promoted orgasmic meditation was on March 30 handed...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: Following the Trump administration's ouster of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in early January, the United States...
HONG KONG: Chinese automaker BYD said on March 27 that its annual sales rose to a record US$116 billion, outpacing Tesla's, but its...
Moscow would irreparably damage its reputation if it behaved like the US in Venezuela and Iran, Valentina Matviyenko said Russia...
(Photo credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images) ATP No. 83 Thiago Agustin Tirante of Argentina rallied from a first-set disappointment...
(Photo credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images) For the third straight day, No. 1 seed Jessica Pegula dropped the opening set but rallied...
SAO PAULO, April 3 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from a small aircraft crash in the seaside city of Capao da Canoa, Brazil's southern...
