Russia Doubles Down on Venezuela

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Mikaila D

The relationship between Venezuela and Russia began with Hugo Chávez Fría in 1999 and 2013 with the purchase of Russian arms and military equipment that ended when the oil boom ended in 2014.

Hugo Chávez backed Russia during the blitzkrieg with Georgia in August 2008 for control of South Ossetia. After the conflict, Moscow recognized the independence of this province and that of Abkhazia, another pro-Russian separatist Georgian region.

According to AFP-Moscow, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro expressed his “strong support” for Russian President Vladimir Putin during a phone call six days after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Kremlin told journalists.

Nicolás Maduro expressed his strong support for Russia’s key actions, condemning the destabilizing activity of the United States and NATO, and emphasizing the importance of combating the campaign of lies and disinformation launched by Western countries,” the statement from the Russian office indicates. after the call made by “initiative of the Venezuelan side”. Putin, meanwhile, “shared his vision of the situation with respect to Ukraine, stressing that the objectives of the special military operation were to protect the civilian population of Donbass”, separatist territories pro-Russians in eastern Ukraine, as well as “such as Russian sovereignty over Crimea, the demilitarization and denazification of the Ukrainian state, and the guarantee of its neutral and non-nuclear status.”

Venezuela announces its full support for President Vladimir Putin in the defense of peace in Russia, in defense of peace in that region, in the courageous defense, all support for Russia!” Maduro said after receiving last May 16 February 2022 in Caracas to the Russian Deputy Prime Minister, Yuri Borisov.

France24 wrote that in the face of skepticism from NATO, Moscow continues to defend its military de-escalation process with a withdrawal of its troops from the Ukrainian border. Under the gaze of the rest of the world, set on the border zone between the two countries, Russia takes the opportunity to broaden its horizons, this time towards the southern hemisphere of the American continent. Venezuela received several Russian officials, including Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov, with the aim of discussing cooperation between the two countries in different areas. Venezuela: on the way to a “powerful military cooperation” with Russia

Borisov declared after meeting with Nicolás Maduró: “I hope we can take our relations to a new level in military-technical and military-scientific cooperation.” Borisov also celebrated that, “thanks to the policy” implemented by his counterpart at the meeting, Venezuela has “managed to overcome crisis situations in the economy” and “reach levels and growth.” For his part, Maduro ratified that Your country is on “the path of powerful military cooperation” with Russia.” We have ratified the path of powerful military cooperation between Russia and Venezuela for the defense of peace, sovereignty, territorial integrity, powerful cooperation military”

Nicolás Maduro also said that the Minister of Defense, Vladimir Padrino, “has precise instructions”, as well as “the entire superior staff”. “We are going to increase all plans for preparation, training, cooperation with a military power in the world like is Russia. Our ties are deep and historic,” he stressed. The marginalization of the West appears to be a common goal.

Indeed, the roots of these historic ties between Venezuela and Russia go back to World War II, when the Soviet Union established diplomatic relations with Venezuela in 1945. Since then, under the rule of Hugo Chávez and now that of Nicolás Maduro, the Relations have remained active. Especially when both nations are united by the rejection of the rest of the West.

Venezuela has been increasingly isolated under economic sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union, accusing Maduro of undermining democratic institutions to stay in power. It has also suffered a huge economic and political crisis. During his meeting with Borisov, the Venezuelan president stated that “another world is possible”, a “multipolar” and “multicentric” one in which there are no “hegemonic empires”. Although the Ukrainian crisis is quite far from both the territory and the direct interests of Venezuela, Maduro also reaffirmed his support for Russia.”Russia has the full support of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in the fight it is waging to dispel NATO threats and of the Western world. Russia has the full support of Venezuela to dispel all threats and for Russia to remain a territory of peace.”according to the country.

Tuquía, days after Maduro’s rapprochement with the White House. RUSSIAN FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTRY (EFE)Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez and Foreign Minister Félix Plasencia met this Thursday with the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, in Turkey, in the midst of the crisis over the invasion of Ukraine. The meeting, from whose conversations no information has yet been released, takes place just four days after a US delegation visited Venezuela to start an unexpected rapprochement between the US government and Venezuela, without diplomatic relations for three years and with a Strong tension due to the sanctions imposed on the oil country. Both Nicolás Maduro and the White House confirmed the start of talks in what has been the highest-level visit of US officials to Caracas in years. The Bolivarian leader described them as respectful and lowered in his speech the unrestricted support for Vladimir Putin in the conflict, taking a more moderate position, close to that of China and Cuba, who advocate dialogue to resolve the crisis between Russia and Ukraine.

As part of this turn in Venezuelan foreign policy, Delcy Rodríguez assured that Venezuela “would never be in the ranks of war.” After the meeting with the representatives of the Joe Biden Administration, Maduro announced the return to negotiations with the opposition in Mexico, a repeated request from the United States. The dialogue was frozen, when Chavismo withdrew in protest against the extradition to the United States of businessman Alex Saab, accused of money laundering and designated as the alleged front man for high-ranking Venezuelan officials. Two Americans were also released, one of them a former manager of the Citgo refinery, arbitrarily detained for several years. Two steps that show Maduro’s interest in keeping the communication channel open by making some concessions. The United States goes to Venezuela amid the collapse of the world energy market as a result of the Russian invasion, which has triggered oil prices. The White House noted that “energy security” issues were included on the meeting’s agenda. This opens the possibility that Venezuela once again becomes a supplier of crude oil for the North American nation, taking the small quota that Russia contributed, whose oil has been vetoed by the United States and the United Kingdom. Until now, Russia has not publicly reacted to these approaches, which represent a reversal in the geopolitics of the region and the conflict.

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Scott MORGAN

Specialist in US Policy (Security, Assymetrical Operations and Business Development) towards Africa and Arab World (Washington DC – USA)

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