The seizure, by the Army’s Delta Force unit, of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro from his heavily fortified compound in Caracas on Jan. 3 was a remarkable military feat. Russia’s vaunted S-300 air defense system either failed to work or was destroyed within minutes. The Kremlin’s response was limited to condemnation.

This was not an isolated case. From Caracas to the Caucasus, the architecture of Russian influence built over decades is collapsing. Ukraine’s resistance has drained Moscow’s military capacity, and President Donald Trump’s interventions have exposed what remains: a declining power unable to protect its allies.

Syria showed Trump what was possible when Russia’s ally, Bashar Assad’s regime, was........

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