Russia has expressed its willingness to assist Venezuela amidst escalating tensions due to the increased US military presence near the South American country led by Donald Trump.
The White House is moving forward with plans for a strike operation targeting drug smugglers, although experts have raised concerns about the legality of attacking drug boats under international law.
In May, Caracas and Moscow entered into a strategic partnership, prompting the Kremlin to signal its preparedness to take action. Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Sergey Lavrov emphasized that Russia is prepared to fulfill the obligations outlined in the agreement with Venezuela.
While the partnership agreement has not yet been fully implemented, it is nearing completion, with the leaders of both countries having ratified the strategic alliance.
Lavrov mentioned that the agreement is undergoing final stages of ratification by the Russian Legislature and underscores the importance of continuing security cooperation, including military-technical collaboration.
The US military display near Venezuela was bolstered by the recent arrival of the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, along with three warships in the region. This has raised speculations about potential intentions to oust Venezuela’s leader, Nicolás Maduro.
According to Lavrov, Venezuela has not formally requested military assistance or the deployment of Russian weaponry within its borders. However, a senior Russian official hinted at the possibility of sending Venezuela the experimental Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile, which was previously employed by Moscow in a strike on central Ukraine.
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