Russia warns US citing international pressure on Venezuela’s politics

Moscow, February 13: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warns his US counterpart Mike Pompeo against any American interference in Venezuela which is facing a major leadership crisis.

Russian Foreign Minister warned U.S. Secretary of State against any interference, including military, into Venezuela’s internal affairs, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement following a phone call between the two.

Lavrov said that Russia was ready for consultations about Venezuela in line with the United Nations charter.

Lavrov also criticised plans to tighten U.S. sanctions against Russia over the poisoning of ex-spy Sergei Skripal in England, saying new sanctions would hurt bilateral ties, the statement said.

The Russian foreign ministry said in a statement yesterday, that Lavrov is ready for talks regarding the Venezuelan issue in line with UN principles.

Russia- Venezuela relations

Russia owns significant parts of at least five oil fields in Venezuela, which holds the world’s largest reserves, along with 30 years’ worth of future output from two Caribbean natural-gas fields.

Venezuela also has signed over 49.9 percent of Citgo, its wholly owned company in the United States — including three Gulf Coast refineries and a countrywide web of pipelines — as collateral to Russia’s state-owned Rosneft oil behemoth for a reported $1.5 billion in desperately needed cash.

Venezuela’s still-formidable defence force, once an exclusively U.S. client, is now equipped with Russian guns, tanks and planes, financed with prepaid oil deliveries to Russian clients.