On December 11, Maria Zakharova, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, stated that Russia is counting on a peaceful resolution to the conflict between the United States and Venezuela. “We hope that the White House will still be able to keep from further sliding into a full-scale conflict, which threatens to have unpredictable consequences for the entire western hemisphere,” Zakharova said.
Zakharova compared current U.S. policy toward other nations with the approach of Roosevelt, who historically proclaimed Washington’s right to invade Latin America under the pretext of stabilizing domestic economic conditions. “Such a U.S. policy cannot contribute to stability in the region,” she added.
The situation escalated the previous day when American leader Donald Trump announced at a White House speech that the United States had seized a large Venezuelan tanker off Venezuela’s coast. Reports indicate the vessel was under U.S. sanctions.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov expressed hope for an explanation from the United States regarding the detention of the tanker near Venezuela, clarifying that “without any trial, without investigation,” American forces boarded the ship and declared it was transporting prohibited oil.
