Venezuela Thanks Russia as Moscow Warns of Targeted Pressure, Urges U.S.–Caracas Talks

Overview

• Venezuelan Foreign Minister Ivan Hil, speaking for President Nicolás Maduro, thanked Russia for solidarity with Venezuela’s right to self-determination and sovereign development.
• Hil said Caracas values Russia’s call to keep the Caribbean a zone of peace and to promote dialogue and mutual respect in international relations.
• Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova cited a continuous, targeted build-up of tension around Venezuela and warned that unilateral decisions could endanger international shipping.
• Moscow reaffirmed support for the Maduro government’s defense of national interests and pressed for normalization of direct talks between Washington and Caracas under international-law norms.
• In a separate call initiated by the Venezuelan side, Hil conveyed Maduro’s thanks to Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko as Minsk rejected any escalation against Venezuela and stressed a peaceful approach.