Russia urges the US to release Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro, condemning the military operation as an “act of armed aggression”
MOSCOW: Russia has condemned the United States’ military operation in Venezuela and demanded the release of President Nicolas Maduro.
The Russian foreign ministry issued a statement on Saturday calling the US action an “act of armed aggression”.
“We strongly urge the American leadership to reconsider its position and release the legally elected president of the sovereign country and his wife,” the ministry said.
It described reports of Maduro’s capture by US forces as “deeply alarming”.
Moscow expressed solidarity with the Venezuelan people and called for dialogue between Washington and Caracas.
The ministry stopped short of offering immediate military or financial assistance to its South American ally.
It rejected the justifications for the US operation, stating “the pretexts used to justify such actions are untenable”.
“Ideological hostility has triumphed over businesslike pragmatism,” the statement added.
Russia is one of the few nations that congratulated Maduro on his disputed re-election in 2024.
Venezuela is Russia’s closest partner in South America and a major buyer of Russian military hardware.
The ministry also dismissed as “fake” reports that Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez was in Russia.
