Russia declares its “full support” for Venezuela in the face of American “hostilities”. Discussion between Lavrov and his counterpart in Caracas
Sergey Lavrov, Photo: Alexander Vilf / Sputnik / Profimedia
Russia expressed its “full support” for Venezuela on Monday, according to the announcement made by the two governments after the telephone conversation between the two foreign ministers, in which Sergey Lavrov and Yván Gil criticized the actions of the US, reports AFP.
The head of Russian diplomacy and his Venezuelan counterpart spoke by phone on Monday and criticized Washington's actions, which have included the bombing of ships accused of being involved in drug trafficking and, more recently, the seizure of oil tankers.
“The ministers expressed their deep concern over the escalation of Washington's actions in the Caribbean Sea, which could have serious consequences for the region and threaten international shipping,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said after talks between ministers Sergey Lavrov and Yván Gil.
“The Russian side reaffirmed its full support and solidarity with the Venezuelan leadership and people in the current context,” Moscow's statement added.
“The ministers agreed to continue their close bilateral cooperation and to coordinate their actions on the international stage, especially at the UN, to ensure respect for the sovereignty of states and non-interference in internal affairs,” the Russian side also wrote.
The UN Security Council will meet on Tuesday to discuss the growing crisis between Venezuela and the US, following a request by Caracas and backed by China and Russia.
What the Venezuelan foreign minister said
The head of Venezuelan diplomacy said on Telegram that he and his Russian counterpart spoke about “aggressions and flagrant violations of international law committed in the Caribbean Sea: attacks on ships, extrajudicial executions and illegal acts of piracy committed by the United States government.”
Gil said Lavrov confirmed Moscow's “full support” in the face of hostilities against our country.
Since September, the US military has attacked boats that Washington says were involved in drug trafficking in the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean. More than 100 people were killed, including fishermen, according to their families and governments.
On December 16, US President Donald Trump announced a blockade against “sanctioned oil vessels” sailing to and from Venezuela.
Trump claims that Venezuela, under the leadership of Nicolas Maduro, is using oil money to fund “narco-terrorism, human trafficking, murder and kidnapping.”
