image source, Getty Images
-
- Author, Angel Bermudez
- Author title, BBC News World
The President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, reiterated this Thursday his support for the government of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela, amid the escalation of tensions between this South American country and the government of Donald Trump.
In a phone call, the Russian president “reiterated his support for the Maduro government’s policies aimed at protecting national interests and sovereignty in the face of growing external pressure,” a Kremlin statement said.
“Vladimir Putin expressed his solidarity with the Venezuelan people,” the text continued.
For its part, the Maduro government noted that during the conversation both leaders “affirmed the strategic, solid and emerging character of the bilateral relationship.”
A statement released by Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil said the Russian president “firmly and categorically confirmed” his support for Maduro in efforts to consolidate peace and political stability.
“President Putin reiterated that the channels of direct communication between the two nations remain permanently open and assured that Russia will continue to support Venezuela in its struggle to assert its sovereignty, international law and peace throughout Latin America, and will make available its diplomatic capacities to strengthen cooperation on these essential issues,” he added.
The call between Maduro and Putin came the day after the US seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela loaded with Venezuelan crude, the export of which was sanctioned by Washington.
The action heightened tensions between the Trump administration and that of Maduro, which have increased since the US president approved a massive deployment of military forces in the Caribbean off the coast of Venezuela last August.
The official goal of these forces, which include the aircraft carrier Gerald Ford – the largest in the world – is to combat drug trafficking. However, Maduro claims that this is an operation to try to force a change of government in Venezuela.
When asked about his goals in Venezuela, Trump repeatedly refused to reveal them openly, although he assured that in his opinion Maduro has “very little time left in power.”
A long alliance
image source, Getty Images
Russia and Venezuela have had a close relationship for about two decades, cemented under the government of the late President Hugo Chávez, who committed billions of dollars to buy Russian weapons.
This connection was maintained even after the coming to power of Maduro, who had previously been Chávez’s foreign minister, which is why he was at the forefront of the formation of this alliance with Moscow.
Maduro traveled to Moscow this year, where he attended a key military parade and signed a comprehensive partnership agreement with Putin.
During Donald Trump’s first administration (2017-2021), when Trump launched a policy of maximum pressure with the stated aim of removing from power Maduro, whom the United States and many European and Latin American countries do not consider a legitimate president, Moscow expressed its support for Caracas in various ways, including by sending two nuclear-capable bombers to Venezuela.
This time, Russia has expressed its support for Venezuela in numerous diplomatic statements, although without showing the level of commitment as the previous time.
Some analysts attribute this change to the fact that Putin launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, resulting in a war of attrition that demanded great efforts and resources from Russia and limited its scope for action on other issues on the international stage.
Subscribe here Subscribe to our new newsletter to receive a selection of our best content of the week every Friday.
And remember that you can receive notifications in our app. Download and activate the latest version.
About The Author
