U.S. foreign policy expert Thomas Graham calls the U.S. operation in Venezuela “a violation in international law” and “an aggression against a sovereign state” while noting that the Trump administration has framed the move as a legal action tied to Nicolás Maduro’s indictment.
Graham, a National Security Council senior director for Russia under President George W. Bush, told Independence Avenue Media that while Moscow and Beijing will study the operation for what it reveals about U.S. military capabilities, he does not expect it to change how either operates on the global stage.
On Ukraine, Graham cautions against placing too much weight on President Donald Trump’s public statements and stresses that negotiations are in “a delicate phase.” The U.S. focus on Venezuela is already diverting senior-level attention away from Russia-Ukraine diplomacy, potentially slowing momentum, while key issues —security questions, territorial matters and the future status of critical infrastructure — remain unresolved.
According to Graham, progress toward a peace process will depend on direct engagement with Russia and whether the United States is prepared to pressure on Moscow.
