What's next for the beleaguered nation? And what does U.S. President Donald Trump plan to do?
President Donald Trump, joined by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Secretary of the Navy John Phelan, announces plans for a “Golden Fleet” of new U.S. Navy battleships, Monday, December 22, 2025, at the Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida. (Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok)
While plenty of global hotspots are fizzling out, other potential conflicts are heating up.
With Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington to discuss peace with U.S. President Donald Trump--and the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas holding--and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Washington to discuss peace with Donald Trump-- and no cease-fire between Ukraine and Russia in the immediate offing-- things are looking both up and down for Trump's foreign policy as we head into the new year.
Elsewhere, there is trouble, too.
In Venezuela, embattled dictator Nicholas Maduro is looking shakier than ever on his throne of pilfered Venezuelan tax largesse. The word in Washington is that Maduro is looking for the exit- incumbent on an ability to take "his" wealth and top lieutenants into exile with him.
In recent weeks, the U.S. moved against narcoterrorist organization connected to Maduro's empire. The Trump administration has seized several Venezuelan tankers.
There have also been drone attacks.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/30/us/politics/trump-venezuela-drone-strike-attack.html
None of this should be a surprise, however.
In March, President Trump imposed stiff new tariffs on countries importing Venezuelan oil.
"The Maduro regime poses an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States," said the White House in a statement. "The Maduro regime systemically undermines democratic institutions by suppressing free and fair elections and consolidating power illegitimately. Venezuela’s endemic corruption and mismanagement under Maduro have crushed its people and triggered a regional humanitarian and public health crisis."
"Millions of Venezuelans have fled Maduro’s oppressive rule, imposing significant burdens on neighboring countries and destabilizing the Western Hemisphere," added the White House. "The Maduro regime has aided and facilitated the infiltration of the Tren de Aragua gang—a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization—into the United States by failing to secure its borders, allowing the gang to flourish within Venezuela, and refusing to take action against its members."
"These dangerous criminals exploited the previous administration’s open-border policies, establishing a foothold in U.S. communities and preying on American citizens through violent acts, including kidnapping, assault, and murder," concluded the administration.
For his part, Maduro seems determined to dig in for a tough fight. Can he win against Donald Trump?
"There's a tremendous amount of momentum building here, not just for the naval strikes, but the president has said on numerous occasions that land would be next," said Real Clear Politics White House correspondent Phillip Wegman. "And at this point, I don't know who is more bold or perhaps foolhardy, the captain of that Venezuelan oil tanker that's trying to run away from the U.S. Navy, or Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who continues to defy Donald Trump. In both cases, it's kind of a bold strategy."
"We'll see how it works out, but Trump has shown, in the U.S., he has the political capital to keep doing this without a declaration of war, and obviously, on the military front, he has overwhelming force," added Wegman. "So, calling his bluff seems to be rather short-sighted."
(Contributing writer, Brooke Bell)