Maduro

U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed on Sunday that he spoke by phone with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, a rare direct contact between the two leaders as tensions over Caracas’s future continue to rise. Trump acknowledged the conversation while speaking with reporters aboard Air Force One, though he declined to reveal what was discussed.

He offered only a brief comment when pressed about the call. “The answer is yes,” he said, adding that he would not characterise the tone. “I would not say it went well or badly. It was a phone call.”

The disclosure of the exchange comes at …