George Friedman: Trump wants Maduro out, Russia wants a foothold in America’s backyard

As tensions rise between Washington and Moscow, a new chessboard emerges—not in Eastern Europe, but in the Caribbean. From Donald Trump’s push to oust Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro to Russia’s quiet buildup of influence in the region, old Cold War strategies are resurfacing in startling ways. In this clip of our recent episode of Talking Geopolitics, GPF Chairman George Friedman dives into Venezuela’s potential as a base for Russian operations, Cuba’s long-standing role as a Soviet legacy asset, and the covert maneuvers shaping U.S. national security today, with host Christian Smith. With Trump considering sending Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine and whispers of Russian retaliation abroad, we ask: what does Trump really want—and how far could this tit-for-tat go? Visit http://www.geopoliticalfutures.com for world-class geopolitical analysis and discussion.