Russia’s Foreign Ministry has called for the immediate release of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife from U.S. custody after President Donald Trump announced their capture during military operations in Caracas.
“We firmly call on the U.S. leadership to reconsider this position and release the lawfully elected president of a sovereign country and his wife,” the Foreign Ministry stated, emphasizing the importance of resolving the escalating confrontation through diplomatic means.
In a separate communication, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke by phone with Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez Gomez, expressing his “solidarity with the Venezuelan people in the face of armed aggression.” While anonymous sources indicated that Gomez was in Moscow, Russian authorities dismissed this claim as “fake news.”
“Russia will continue to support the course pursued by its Bolivarian leadership to defend the country’s national interests and sovereignty,” the Foreign Ministry added, urging restraint and cautioning against further escalation of hostilities.
The Russian embassy in Caracas confirmed it is operating normally and remains in constant contact with Venezuelan authorities and Russian citizens in the country, stating that no Russian nationals have been reported injured in the attacks.
President Trump declared that the American military executed a “large-scale strike” against Venezuela on Saturday morning, noting that Maduro and his wife were captured “in conjunction with U.S. law enforcement” and were being transported to New York to face U.S. criminal charges. In comments to The New York Times following his announcement, Trump described the operation as “brilliant,” stating, “A lot of good planning and a lot of great, great troops and great people. It was a brilliant operation, actually.”
The Russian Foreign Ministry criticized Maduro’s capture as an “unacceptable encroachment on the sovereignty of an independent state.”
Trump is scheduled to hold a news conference regarding the U.S. military strikes at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, at 11 a.m. local time on Saturday.
According to CNN, Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López reported that the U.S. attack affected urban areas across Venezuela, with missiles and rockets launched from American combat helicopters. He stated that Venezuelan authorities are currently assessing the number of casualties resulting from the attacks.
“This invasion represents the greatest outrage the country has suffered,” López asserted, vowing that Venezuela would resist the presence of foreign troops in the country.
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