Nicolas Maduro calls Putin to reiterate his “strong support”

As Russian troops continue their invasion of Ukraine, Nicolas Maduro is more than ever the Kremlin’s ally. The Venezuelan president once again expressed his “strong support” for his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, during a phone call on Tuesday.

“Nicolas Maduro expressed his strong support for key actions by Russia, condemning the destabilizing activity of the United States and NATO, and stressing the importance of combating the campaign of lies and disinformation launched by the countries Westerners,” according to a statement from the Kremlin, which stresses that the call took place at “the initiative of the Venezuelan side.”

President Putin, for his part, “shared his vision of the situation regarding Ukraine, stressing that the objectives of the special military operation were to protect the civilian population of Donbass, the recognition by Kyiv of the DNR and LNR [Républiques populaires de Donetsk et de Lougansk, autoproclamées]as well as Russian sovereignty over Crimea, the demilitarization and denazification of the Ukrainian state and the assurance of its neutral and non-nuclear status”.

Already support before the war

“I had a telephone conversation with the president, Vladimir Poutine, I ratified the condemnation by Venezuela of the destabilizing actions of NATO. I reiterated the firm disposition in favor of understanding and dialogue, as a means of preserving peace,” Maduro wrote on Twitter. Before the invasion, he had already expressed his support for Russia, saying: “Venezuela is with Putin, he is with Russia. He is with the courageous and just causes in the world”.