The Russian Foreign Ministry categorically rejected Washington’s accusations against the Russian Federation about intervening in the Venezuelan crisis.
“The Russian Federation is developing cooperation with Venezuela in strict accordance with the Constitution of this country and with full respect for its legislation. The presence of Russian specialists in Venezuela is regulated by an agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of Venezuela on military-technical cooperation, signed in May 2001 and having passed the necessary ratification procedures in both states in a timely manner, ”said Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.
Thus, she commented on the statements of high-ranking US officials, as well as representatives of the General Secretariat of the Organization of American States (OAS) about “Russian interference” in the internal affairs of Venezuela.
The corresponding statement was made after the House of Representatives of the United States Congress adopted a bill to combat Russian "influence" in Venezuela. It is reported RIA Novosti.
The “Law on the Prevention of the Russian-Venezuelan Threat” received unanimous support among congressmen. Now he must be approved in the Senate, after which he will go to the signature of the American president.
According to the bill, the US Secretary of State will have to inform Congress about the interaction of Russia and Venezuela in the field of security, as well as the "potential threat of this cooperation for the United States and the countries of the Western Hemisphere." In addition, the head of the State Department will have to develop a “strategy to combat Russian-Venezuelan cooperation” in a month.
The document also implies a ban on entry to the US by representatives of Russia who support the Venezuelan security forces.
- Congress building
- Reuters
- © Zach Gibson
A few hours after reporting that the document was adopted by the House of Representatives, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreas said that Washington was trying to intervene in the military-technical cooperation of the South American country with Russia.
“What a cynicism when a country such as the United States, with more than 800 military bases around the world (much of which is in Latin America) and a growing military budget of more than $ 700 billion, wants to intervene in the programs of military-technical cooperation between Russia and Venezuela” - wrote Arreas on his Twitter page.
The head of the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry also added that the Bolivarian Republic is a free and independent country and that Caracas will continue cooperation with its allies in the military sphere.
"The pressure will increase"
The intention to adopt an anti-Russian bill became known a month ago. On February 28, the United States introduced a draft law on countering "Russian influence" in Venezuela to Congress. The document proposed to impose sanctions against the Russians and citizens of other states who support the current president of the Bolivarian Republic, Nicolas Maduro.
The initiators of the legislative initiative refer to the Russian-Venezuelan exercises in December 2018, which involved two Russian Tu-160 bombers. The document also contains information on the provision of loans to the Venezuelan state oil and gas company PDVSA by Moscow.
The day before the Congress passed the “Law on the Prevention of the Russian-Venezuelan Threat,” the United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, during telephone conversations with Sergei Lavrov, accused Russia of allegedly increasing tension in Venezuela by “the constant interference of the Russian military”, to support the Maduro regime.
As noted on March 26 edition of Le Figaro, such a statement Pompeo could be triggered by the arrival on March 24 in Caracas of two Russian aircraft: the An-124 and Il-62.
According to Nikolai Kalashnikov, Deputy Director of the Institute of Latin American Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the adoption of the bill by the US Congress to combat the "influence" of Russia in Venezuela, as well as Pompeo's statement suggests that Washington has stepped up attempts to neutralize Russia as a country that prevents it from dismantling the Maduro regime.
“For the past few months, US policy has been aimed at disrupting cooperation between Caracas and Moscow. And also prevent Russia from helping Venezuela, ”Kalashnikov said in an interview with RT.
According to him, Washington is trying by any means to oust Russia from Latin America.
“The United States continues the policy they pursued during the existence of the Soviet Union. Washington sees a political rival in Russia, so all actions are aimed at eliminating a rival, ”said the expert.
All steps of Russia in the Western Hemisphere are perceived by Washington as a threat to the United States, political analyst Vladimir Bruter said in a conversation with RT. However, the White House will not be able to "squeeze" the Russian side from Venezuela.
"It will not be possible to directly neutralize the US Russia, despite the fact that pressure on Washington and Caracas from Washington will increase," stated Bruter.
"Survival Guarantee"
In mid-March, the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Venezuela, Jorge Arreas, made a statement that Caracas, while not intending to request the delivery of Russian weapons, however, wants to continue cooperation with Moscow in the military sphere.
“We have very good military cooperation with Russia, and we will continue in the same vein. The main part of our military equipment is from Russia, but at the moment we have no definite need, ”RIA Novosti quotes the Minister’s words.
Recall that Moscow and Caracas are developing military cooperation in the field of arms production, helicopter manufacturing. Russia also supplies heavy equipment and air defense to Venezuela.
Back in February, the general director of Rostec, Sergey Chemezov, said that the construction of a plant for the production of Kalashnikovs in Venezuela is scheduled for completion in 2019. This was reported by Interfax.
In August 2018, the head of Rosoboronexport, Alexander Mikheyev, announced the possible commissioning of a helicopter service center and a center for training pilots in Venezuela.
In December 2017, Anatoly Punchuk, Deputy Director of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation of Russia, stated that Venezuela ranks first among other Latin American countries in the use of Russian weapons and military equipment.
- Soldiers of the army of Venezuela
- Reuters
- © Adriana Loureiro
By mid-2013, the sum of contracts in the field of military-technical cooperation between Moscow and Caracas was estimated at $ 11 billion.
The Venezuelan side has acquired a medium-range and long-range air defense system from Russia. In the Bolivarian Republic of Russia, Russia supplied 100 thousand Kalashnikov assault rifles of the AK-103. In addition, Venezuela acquired Su-30MK2 fighters, Mi-35M helicopters, T-72, BMP-3 and BTR-80 tanks.
According to Nikolai Kalashnikov, if the bill on combating the "influence" of Russia in Venezuela comes into force, it is possible that Washington will announce new sanctions, but against Russian defense companies in Venezuela. However, the expert emphasizes that the United States will still be difficult to resist the military-technical cooperation of Moscow and Caracas.
“If Venezuela depended on the United States in the supply of equipment or spare parts, then Washington could blackmail the republic with this, demanding to stop military cooperation with Russia. However, at present, the Venezuelan army has been re-equipped thanks to Russian technology, ”said Kalashnikov.
Washington may continue its sanctions policy towards the Russian military industrial complex, but this will not affect the military-technical cooperation between Moscow and Caracas, analysts say.
As Bruter noted, for Caracas, "military-technical cooperation with Russia is a guarantee of survival."
“Without military-technical cooperation with Russia, the Venezuelan regime will be unarmed in the face of enemies. Neighboring countries know that Venezuela possesses Russian weapons, therefore they are cautious about military intervention, ”the expert noted.
"To impose responsibility"
In response to US allegations of Russian intervention in Venezuela’s affairs, including through arms supplies, Moscow has repeatedly stressed that it is only in favor of a peaceful settlement of the situation in the republic.
On the eve, US Assistant to the President for National Security John Bolton wrote in his Twitter that Washington allegedly sends food to the people of Venezuela, and also once again accused Moscow.
“Instead of sending nuclear bombers and special forces to help a corrupt dictator, Russia should work with the international community to support the people of Venezuela,” said Bolton.
He later added that the United States "will not tolerate the intervention of hostile powers" in the overall goals of the Western Hemisphere.
The Russian Foreign Ministry responded to these statements.
“I would like to remind John Bolton: if one large country in the Western Hemisphere stops slandering the people of Venezuela with sanctions, and the second country in the Eastern Hemisphere and a number of international banking structures unlock billions of Venezuelan dollars in their accounts, then the Venezuelans themselves can buy medicines and food without help “good Washington”, - wrote the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova on Facebook.
The adoption of a bill to combat “Russian influence” in Venezuela contradicts the very essence of international law, said Andrei Klishas, chairman of the Federation Council’s committee on constitutional legislation.
“The principle of the obligation of states to cooperate with each other is one of the key imperative principles of international law. Meanwhile, the adoption of such acts of pressure under the pretext of combating ephemeral threats contradicts the essence of international law as such, ”Klishas cites RIA Novosti.
The United States defends its national interests at the expense of other countries and to their detriment, said the First Deputy Chairman of the Duma Committee on Defense, Alexander Sherin, in an interview with RT.
“From the US side at the moment, we are already witnessing undisguised interference in the internal affairs of Venezuela,” said the deputy.
According to Nikolai Kalashnikov, the US accusations against Russia of intervening in the Venezuelan issue, including through the supply of weapons and military equipment, are completely unfounded.
“Russia supplies weapons on the basis of agreements that have long existed between the countries, but the United States does interfere in Venezuela’s affairs, since they have no such agreements,” Kalashnikov noted.
Vladimir Bruter shares this opinion. He believes that Washington is seeking to further destabilize the situation in the Bolivarian Republic and “to impose responsibility on Moscow” for everything that happens.
“The accusations of the United States against Russia about the intervention - fake. What then do the United States in Venezuela? Russia, unlike Washington, does not interfere in the Venezuelan conflict and does not invest money in changing Maduro’s regime, ”the expert concluded.