Did Fiona Hill warn us of a Russian deal involving Ukraine and Venezuela? [View all]

Yes. "During her 2019 testimony to the U.S. Congress, former National Security Council official Fiona Hill stated that Russia was "signaling very strongly that they wanted to somehow make some very strange swap arrangement between Venezuela and Ukraine".

Hill, a top Russia expert, explained that Russia was implicitly offering to end its support for the Venezuelan regime in exchange for the United States' acquiescence to Russian dominance in Ukraine. The underlying message from Moscow was essentially: "You have your Monroe doctrine; you want us out of your backyard. Well, we have our own version of this. You're in our backyard in Ukraine".

This suggested an attempt by Russia to negotiate spheres of influence, viewing conflicts as proxy wars where a distant foothold (Venezuela) could be traded for control over a neighboring country considered part of its "near abroad" (Ukraine). The issue gained renewed attention in light of later developments in both Venezuela and Ukraine.