The Russian Foreign Ministry issued a forceful condemnation on Saturday of what it characterized as an American ‘act of armed aggression’ against Venezuela, following reports that President Nicolás Maduro was captured in a US military operation in and around Caracas. In a series of official statements, Moscow demanded the immediate release of the ‘legally elected president’ and his wife, framing the intervention as a severe violation of international sovereignty.
While expressing ‘solidarity’ with the Venezuelan people and calling for renewed dialogue between Washington and Caracas, the Russian government notably refrained from committing to any immediate military or financial support for its embattled ally. The ministry dismissed the justifications presented by the United States for the operation as ‘untenable,’ asserting that ‘ideological hostility has triumphed over businesslike pragmatism.’
Russia, which remains one of the few nations to have recognized Maduro’s controversial re-election in 2024, described the news of his apprehension as ‘deeply alarming.’ The South American nation holds significant strategic importance for the Kremlin as its closest regional partner and a major client for Russian military exports. In a related development, Moscow officially denied as ‘fake’ circulating reports that Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez had sought refuge on Russian soil.