Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) shakes hands with his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolas Maduro during a meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia October 4, 2017. REUTERS/Yuri Kadobnov/Pool
McClatchy News: Venezuela raises possibility of Russian military help to counter US
WASHINGTON: Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on Wednesday raised the possibility of getting military support from Russia to boost its defensive capabilities after President Donald Trump threatened to use force against the South American nation.
Speaking at an energy forum in Moscow, Maduro said his administration will discuss increased military cooperation with the Russian government during his visit this week.
“I am sure, even if we do not ask, we will be given even more support to boost Venezuela’s defense capacity and sovereignty," Maduro said.
Tensions are running high between Washington and Caracas. After Maduro defied warnings from the White House and rolled back democratic institutions, the Trump administration imposed sanctions as a punishment. Then, in August, Trump stunned U.S. and Venezuelan officials alike by raising the possibility of military force.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: When it comes to Venezuela the Russian focus is that they want Venezuela to pay-off their huge debt to Moscow .... a debt that came from Russia selling weapons and military hardware to Venezuela. The idea that Venezuela wants more .... while conveniently trying to ignore the past and current obligations .... that is not going to be an easy sell. The Russians will want security for their help .... which means that Venezuela will need to give even more of their oil assets to secure this type of assistance. And as for Russian military personnel going to Venezuela, that is not going to happen.
No comments:
Post a Comment