01/07/2026
A “strange swap” from 2019 is back in the spotlight—and it raises urgent questions about U.S. values and global power.
The Venezuela-for-Ukraine deal sounds like something from a cold-war thriller: Russia steps back in Venezuela, and the United States steps back in Ukraine. But according to Fiona Hill—who served as a top Russia and Europe adviser in Donald Trump’s White House—Russian officials did float that idea in 2019. And the fact that it’s resurfacing now is a warning sign about where “great power” politics can lead if voters and lawmakers don’t demand clear limits and accountability. Hill described the pitch as a “very strange swap arrangement between Venezuela and Ukraine.” (AP News)
What Fiona Hill said—and why it’s resurfacing now
Hill’s account matters for two reasons: first, it offers a window into how the Kremlin frames global politics. Second, it forces Americans to ask whether U.S. policy is guided by principle—or by transactions.
Fiona Hill says Russia floated a Venezuela-for-Ukraine swap in 2019. Here’s what it means for U.S. power and global rules.
