This week, President Donald Trump confirmed he recently spoke on the phone with Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. This is surprising because the US government has been trying to remove Maduro from power for a long time. At the same time, the President commented on the war between Russia and Ukraine. These events show Trump often talks directly to foreign leaders himself, which is different from normal government work.
The call with Maduro is a big contradiction. The US is putting strong pressure on Venezuela's government. It recognizes opposition leader Juan Guaidó as the true president and has serious economic punishments against Maduro's rule. The US Navy is also in the Caribbean near Venezuela. When asked about the call, Trump simply said, "The answer is yes," but did not give details.
Regarding Ukraine, Trump said he thinks both Russia and Ukraine want to end the war. He said he is a little hopeful for a peace agreement. However, he also connected the peace talks to a corruption investigation in Ukraine's energy industry. This investigation just caused Ukraine's president to fire a top aide. By mixing these issues, Trump makes the situation more complex.
These calls have several results. Talking to Maduro might confuse US allies and weaken the plan to pressure him. For Ukraine, linking peace and corruption could oversimplify a very difficult war. Together, they show Trump's foreign policy style: he prefers his own personal conversations over traditional diplomacy. People are now watching to see what the long-term plan behind these calls really is.