The Kremlin announced Tuesday that Russia remains in constant contact with Venezuela regarding escalating military tensions in the Caribbean, as Washington intensifies its naval and air operations in the region. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Moscow maintains "constant working contacts" with Caracas, without specifying the exact nature of these exchanges.
This statement comes amid a series of US operations conducted over the past several weeks in the Caribbean and the Eastern Pacific, officially aimed at combating drug trafficking. According to US authorities, these actions have targeted at least fourteen ships and resulted in sixty-one casualties, described as suspected traffickers. Moscow, for its part, condemned what it called an "excessive use of military force" by the United States.
The Russian Foreign Ministry reaffirmed its support for Nicolás Maduro's government this weekend, while also calling for restraint and de-escalation. Dmitry Peskov emphasized the Kremlin's desire to see the situation remain "stable and peaceful" in the region, specifying that Russia wished to avoid any escalation that could lead to renewed conflict.
Relations between Moscow and Caracas have strengthened considerably in recent years, against a backdrop of international isolation of the Venezuelan regime. Last May, Vladimir Putin and Nicolás Maduro signed a strategic partnership agreement in Moscow providing for increased cooperation in the areas of defense, energy, and infrastructure.
As the United States continues its military deployment in the Caribbean, this Russian-Venezuelan coordination demonstrates a clear political alignment with Washington. For the Kremlin, Venezuela remains a key ally in Latin America, on par with Cuba and Nicaragua, in a region where the rivalry for influence with the United States is taking on an increasingly geopolitical dimension.
