UK Defence Secretary John Healey has made remarks suggesting the abduction of Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to a report by The Telegraph.

The newspaper reports that Healey said that if he were hypothetically able to kidnap any world leader, he would choose Putin. The comments were made during the head of the British defence ministry’s visit to Kiev, the article notes.

The remarks come against the backdrop of recent events in Venezuela. On January 3, the United States carried out an operation in the country that resulted in the detention of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. During the same operation, strikes were carried out against several military facilities. Following their detention, Maduro and Flores were transported to New York, where an initial court hearing was held on charges related to narcoterrorism. The Venezuelan president denied the accusations.

In response, Venezuelan authorities requested an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council. Interim leadership of the country was assumed by Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, who took an oath before the National Assembly on January 5.

Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed support for the Venezuelan people, called for the release of Nicolas Maduro and his wife, and warned against further escalation. China, for its part, stated that the United States had violated international law.