JUST IN: Russia Reacts to US Military Action in Venezuela

Russia has condemned the United States’ military action in Venezuela, saying there was no credible justification for the attack and accusing Washington of allowing “ideological hostility” to override diplomacy.

Venezuela remains Russia’s key ally in South America, although the Kremlin has so far stopped short of pledging direct assistance to Caracas in the event of a conflict with the United States.

“This morning, the United States committed an act of armed aggression against Venezuela. This is deeply troubling and deserves condemnation,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The ministry added that the reasons advanced to justify the operation were “untenable,” noting that ideological hostility had prevailed over pragmatic, businesslike engagement.

The statement made no reference to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, whom US President Donald Trump claimed was captured during Saturday’s military operation.

“We reaffirm our solidarity with the Venezuelan people,” the ministry said, adding that there were no reports of Russian citizens being harmed in the US strikes.

The article was originally published on Politics Nigeria.