Russia has affirmed its readiness to assist Venezuela as President Donald Trump increases the US military presence near the South American country. The White House is moving forward with plans for a strike campaign targeting drug smugglers, though experts argue that attacking drug boats would violate international law.
In May, Caracas and Moscow signed a strategic partnership, leading the Kremlin to declare its preparedness to act. Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that Russia is poised to fulfill the obligations outlined in the agreement with Venezuela. While the agreement is pending enforcement, both countries’ leaders have ratified the strategic partnership, nearing its final stage of approval by the Russian Legislature.
The US has bolstered its show of force near Venezuela by deploying the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, along with three warships in the region. This escalation raises speculation about whether President Trump aims to oust Venezuela’s leader, Nicolás Maduro.
Although Venezuela has not formally requested military aid or the deployment of Russian weaponry, Lavrov clarified that the country has not made such appeals. However, a senior Russian official hinted at the possibility of sending Venezuela the experimental Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile, previously utilized by Moscow in a strike against central Ukraine a year ago.