Russian President Vladimir Putin has reached out to the Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, offering his support as tensions with Donald Trump escalate.
Putin’s communication with Maduro occurred shortly after the U.S. seized a sanctioned oil tanker in Venezuela, an act Caracas described as ‘piracy.’
As reported by the Kremlin, Putin ‘expressed solidarity with the Venezuelan people’ and ‘confirmed his support for the Maduro government’s policy aimed at protecting national interests and sovereignty in the face of growing external pressure.’
The tensions between the United States and Venezuela have been mounting, with Trump demanding Maduro’s resignation. The situation intensified on Wednesday when Trump announced the seizure of the oil tanker.
“We’ve just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela, large tanker, very large, largest one ever, actually, and other things are happening,” said Trump.
When questioned about the fate of the confiscated oil, Trump responded: “We keep it, I guess.”
The Venezuelan government condemned the action as ‘blatant theft’ and labeled the seizure “an act of international piracy.”
Meanwhile, the relationship between Trump and Russia is also under strain, given the stalled peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.
Conversely, the bond between Venezuela and Russia has strengthened, with both countries fostering a friendly relationship over the past year.
In his call, Putin ‘categorically reaffirmed his support’ for Maduro’s leadership in Venezuela and emphasized that communication between Moscow and Caracas would ‘remain permanently open.’
He further committed to assisting Venezuela in ‘asserting its sovereignty’ and promoting, ‘international law, and peace throughout Latin America.’
With Russia and Venezuela aligning, one might think Trump could be concerned about this emerging alliance.
However, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that Putin’s call was not ‘concerning to the President at all.’
Instead, Trump has reinforced sanctions on Venezuela, extending them to include six more oil tankers and members of Maduro’s family.
In a further move, Trump has ominously threatened to conduct strikes on suspected narcotics shipments entering the U.S. from Venezuela.