Russian foreign minister: Moscow to honor treaty with Venezuela amid growing U.S. military presence

Moscow is prepared to honor the commitments made in its latest treaty with Venezuela, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said this week, although Caracas has not asked for any formal support as the U.S. increases its military presence in the Caribbean.

The strategic agreement was signed in May during Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s visit to Russia. While Venezuela has ratified the treaty, Mr. Lavrov said Tuesday that Russia’s legislature was still holding hearings.

“The treaty is almost finished. We will strictly adhere to the obligations it contains,” Mr. Lavrov said in a Tuesday briefing to reporters. “We stand ready to act fully within the framework of the commitments we and our Venezuelan friends have assumed in this treaty.”

The USS Gerald R. Ford, the largest American aircraft carrier, and its strike group arrived in the region this week, joining eight warships, a nuclear submarine and F-35 aircraft already in the Caribbean.

Russian foreign ministry officials on Friday said the U.S. shouldn’t interfere in the domestic affairs of sovereign countries under the pretext of fighting drug trafficking.

“The situation is aggravated by the fact that the American authorities have provided no evidence linking the ships and crew they targeted to the illicit drug trade,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters in Russia.

The White House has said the military buildup in the Caribbean is meant to target narco-traffickers in the region. The Pentagon has launched at least 20 strikes against alleged drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean and Pacific Ocean since September.

Mr. Lavrov condemned the airstrikes, saying they were an “unacceptable” action to take under the pretext of combating drug trafficking.