New Delhi, Jan. 15 -- US President Donald Trump is set to meet Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado at the White House on Thursday, a high-profile encounter that comes amid profound uncertainty over Washington's strategy for Venezuela following the dramatic US capture of former president Nicolas Maduro earlier this month.

The meeting follows an audacious US military raid in Caracas in which Maduro and his wife were seized and transferred to New York to face drug trafficking charges-an operation that has reshaped Venezuela's political landscape but left open questions about who Washington ultimately sees as a legitimate partner.

Trump downplayed expectations ahead of the talks, telling Reuters: "She's a very nice woman. I've...