Maria Zaharova accuses the United States of piracy. “The long-forgotten theft of other people's property”

The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that the United States is reviving piracy and robbery in the Caribbean Sea through the naval blockade imposed on Venezuela and expressed hope that the pragmatism of American President Donald Trump will help “avoid a disaster”, reports Reuters, quoted by Agerpres.

“Today we are witnessing a real defiance of the law in the Caribbean Sea, where the long-forgotten theft of other people's property, namely piracy and robbery, are being revived”, said the spokeswoman of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, about this situation.

“We permanently support a de-escalation” of the situation, Zaharova said. “We hoped that the pragmatism and wisdom of American President Trump will allow finding solutions that are mutually acceptable to the parties involved, within the framework of international legal norms,” ​​the Russian official added.

“We confirm our support for the efforts of Nicolas Maduro's government, which aims to protect sovereignty and national interests and maintain the stable and secure development of his country,” Zaharova said.

The blockade ordered by Trump

President Trump on December 16 ordered a “complete blockade” of sanctioned oil tankers sailing to and from Venezuela, an escalation of his administration's months-long pressure campaign against Nicolás Maduro, the leader of the South American nation.

“Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest army ever assembled in the history of South America,” Trump wrote on his account on the Truth Social platform. “It will become even bigger, and the shock for them will be unprecedented,” the president added.

The price of oil rose internationally by about 1% after the president's announcement, writes Reuters. The move could seriously affect Venezuela's oil exports, which are essential to the country's economy. The regime in Caracas is totally dependent on oil tankers to export its crude oil to world markets.

The blockade had already taken shape last Wednesday, when the United States seized an oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea carrying Venezuelan oil to Cuba and China.

A federal judge issued a seizure warrant based on the tanker's recent shipment of oil from Iran. As for the cargo, worth about $80 million, the president said he plans to “keep it.”

The US assault on Venezuela

The U.S. military has mobilized a significant naval force in the Caribbean in recent months, and Trump has threatened to launch military ground strikes in Venezuela, though it is unclear whether that will happen.

Since September, the US military has already launched strikes on vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, many near Venezuela, in a campaign that has killed at least 95 people.

Trump and his administration have said the attacks are aimed at stopping drug trafficking into the United States. But Venezuela, many experts said, is not necessarily a major drug producer, and the cocaine that transits the country and the waters around it is generally destined for Europe.