Russian President Vladimir Putin affirmed Moscow’s support for Venezuela in a call with Maduro against the US seizure of a Venezuelan oil tanker and vowed full support for Venezuela’s sovereignty.
According to the Kremlin “Vladimir Putin expressed solidarity with the Venezuelan people,” the Kremlin said in a readout. It added that the Russian leader also “confirmed his support for the Maduro government’s policy aimed at protecting national interests and sovereignty in the face of growing external pressure”. Venezuela’s government, meanwhile, said in a statement that Maduro and Putin “reaffirmed the strategic, solid and growing nature of their bilateral relations”.
The Russian president, it said, confirmed his commitment to Venezuelan sovereignty and “reiterated that the channels of direct communication between the two nations remain permanently open”. The threat of US military action has brought renewed attention to Venezuela’s allies, which have dwindled in recent years. Currently, in Latin America, only Nicaragua and Cuba remain closely aligned with Venezuela.
Elsewhere, Caracas maintains close ties with Russia and China, and ties with Iran have strengthened in recent years amid shared opposition to US policy. Critics have accused the Trump administration of using military pressure in an effort to open Venezuela’s vast oil reserves to US and Western companies, a charge US officials have denied.
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