MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Venezuelan leader strongly supports Putin

Russian-Venezuelan relationships date back to the days of the late Hugo Chávez

Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro Tuesday called Russian President Vladimir Putin on the telephone to express his “strong support” and wish him well regarding the military deployment in Ukraine, according to Kremlin sources.

“Nicolás Maduro expressed his strong support for Russia's key actions, condemning the destabilizing activity of the United States and NATO, and emphasizing the importance of combating the campaign of lies and disinformation launched by Western countries,” a statement from the Russian government read.

The document also highlighted the call had been made at Maduro's initiative.

Putin shared Maduro's vision of the situation in Ukraine, “stressing that the objectives of the special military operation were to protect the civilian population of Donbas,” two pro-Russian separatist provinces who have declared their independence from Kyiv and signed alliance deals with the Russian Federation.

Russia's president also stressed his country's role regarding “Russian sovereignty over Crimea,” while seeking “the demilitarization and denazification of the Ukrainian state.”

On the eve of Russia's military onslaught against Ukraine, Maduro had expressed his support for Putin, who has always remained a key ally, which has been pivotal in keeping him in power in light of US sanctions and other measures aimed at toppling him on the grounds that his 2018 reelection had happened through fraud.

Russian-Venezuelan relationships date back to the days of the late Hugo Chávez, who backed Russia during the August 2008 Blitzkrieg with Georgia over control of South Ossetia, after which Moscow recognized the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, also pro-Russian separatist regions.

President Chávez (1999-2013) also bought hundreds of millions of dollars wort5h of Russian arms and military equipment.

“Venezuela announces its full support for President Vladimir Putin in the defence of peace in Russia, in the defence of peace in this region, in the courageous defence, all support for Russia,” Maduro said Feb. 16 upon welcoming Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov in Caracas.