The call was made at the “initiative of the Venezuelan side” and during the conversation, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry, “President Vladimir Putin and President Nicholas telephoned to analyze the development of the Russian-Venezuelan strategic partnership and the implementation of joint plans.”
“The two leaders agreed to maintain contacts at various levels,” he concluded.
In another statement, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that “Russia is committed to its commitment to non – proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and is taking all necessary steps to prevent the emergence of nuclear weapons and related technologies in Ukraine.”
Venezuela accuses Western countries
On Friday, Venezuela called for a peaceful solution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, accusing NATO and the United States (US) of violating existing agreements after Russian military strikes in several Ukrainian locations.
Caracas also condemned international sanctions against Russia for undermining the human rights of the Russian people, while the Venezuelan opposition criticized Russia’s support for Caracas and accused Russia of using Venezuela for war purposes to pressure the United States.
On February 17, President Nicolas Maduro expressed support for Russia in the face of Western threats.
“Russia has the full support of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in its fight to eliminate NATO threats. [Organização do Tratado do Atlântico Norte] And the Western world. Russia has all the support to eliminate all threats, so it remains a zone of peace, “said Maduro during a visit to Caracas by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Ivanovich Borisov.
“Relations between Russia and Venezuela are increasingly gaining greater strategic status, greater quality and depth and greater historical strength in their decisions,” he added.
According to local newspapers, relations between Caracas and Moscow intensified under the late Socialist leader Hugo Chavez (who was president of the country between 1999 and 2013), who backed Russia during the August 2008 war with Georgia. During his tenure, Hugo Chavez purchased weapons and military equipment from Russia.
Currently, Venezuela is managed by Nicolas Maduro, who, among others, has military, cultural, energy and technical cooperation agreements with Russia.
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