Russia–Venezuela relations

1 week ago - Russia–Venezuela relations include cooperation between Russia and Venezuela in areas of common concern, such as their common status as oil exporters, and policy toward the United States. Venezuela is Russia's most important trading and military ally in Latin America.

3 days ago - Russia and Venezuela have maintained friendly ties for a quarter century. In 2000, Putin and Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, both newly elected, met for the first time during a UN General Assembly session in New York.

3 days ago - The Kremlin’s relationship with Venezuela enables Moscow to project power beyond Cuba in the Western Hemisphere, access Venezuela’s oil reserves, and cultivate an alliance aligned with an anti-Western agenda. Russian energy firms have gained oil stakes and repayment-in-kind options for investments in Venezuela, while joint financial ventures and Venezuela’s crypto experiments have served as testing grounds for sanctions-evasion mechanisms later adapted by Russia.

5 days ago - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov urged the US to reconsider its position and release ‘the legitimately elected leader of a sovereign country and his spouse’. He subsequently held a phone call with Venezuela’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, reiterating Russia’s support for Caracas and urging de-escalation through dialogue. Yet Moscow’s response has remained within its standard diplomatic playbook. Most notably, the presidential administration has remained silent, issuing no statements to date despite the close personal and political relationship between Vladimir Putin and Maduro.

5 days ago - Over more than two decades, Russia has embedded itself in Venezuela's military, energy sector, and political elite, courting Hugo Chavez and his successor, Nicolas Maduro, both ardent critics of the United States, and establishing a firm foothold in the Western Hemisphere. Throughout President Vladimir Putin's 26 years in power, Russia has cultivated personal relationships, institutional links, and commercial interests in the South American nation.

4 days ago - Half a dozen years ago, the Kremlin indicated it would be willing to drop its support for Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela in exchange for a free hand in Ukraine, said Fiona Hill, an adviser to President Donald Trump, during a congressional hearing in 2019. In the first week of January, slumbering through its Christmas and New Year hiatus, Moscow lost this bargaining chip and more. Russia’s direct financial losses from what is now likely to be Moscow’s complete withdrawal from Venezuela are set to be minimal, despite the Kremlin’s long-standing support for Caracas and frequent promises of investment.

2 weeks ago - Russian officials suggested in 2019 that the Kremlin might reduce support for Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela in exchange for a free hand in Ukraine.

1 month ago - “The Russian side reaffirmed its full support for and solidarity with the Venezuelan leadership and people in the current context,” the statement read.

1 month ago - For his Venezuelan counterpart, Nicolas Maduro, they act as a lubricant for foreign relations. But the intensification of the US conflict with Venezuela cannot be explained by oil alone. There are numerous other interests at play. As well as the US, the other two great world powers, China and Russia, are pursuing their own aims in the country.

1 month ago - To what extent will Russia support Venezuela in tensions with the US?Experts on Russia–Latin America relations say Moscow’s backing for Venezuela would be largely diplomatic, not military, as the Kremlin focuses on other priorities and steers clear of a direct clash with Washington.

December 13, 2025 - Experts say that Russian and Chinese support for Venezuela has largely dried up, with no prospect of real military or financial aid.

2 weeks ago - Russia's reaction to the ousting of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has been cautious, with Moscow weighing up the potential geopolitical benefits and opportunities of the U.S.' unilateral action against the loss of an important regional ally in Latin America.

November 4, 2025 - Russia remains in constant contact with Venezuela over tensions in the Caribbean, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying on Tuesday.

November 4, 2025 - Maduro’s appeals to Moscow for help may result in some aid, but he should not expect Putin to be his savior. Russia continues to face real economic constraints that limit its ability to provide an economic lifeline to Venezuela. When Maduro traveled to Moscow in August to mark eighty years of the bilateral relationship, he came home without any new loans or funding.

November 3, 2025 - The 1982 “Bolivarian Revolution” ... Vladimir Putin, Russia and Venezuela forged a comprehensive strategic partnership centered on anti-hegemonic solidarity and pragmatic cooperation....

November 2, 2025 - Recently, a Russian military transport plane landed in Caracas, signalling Moscow’s direct involvement in the crisis. For Washington, D.C., it’s a clear challenge in its own backyard. The U.S. has already committed 10,000 troops, warships, F-35 jets and special forces to the Caribbean. The U.S. says that the buildup is to combat drug-traffickers but critics warn that it looks more like a regime-change operation in Venezuela.

2 weeks ago - Russia is offering stark criticism of the U.S. military attack on Venezuela, which resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. In response, Russia called for a full meeting of t…

August 15, 2024 - Russian president Putin congratulated Maduro, describing the bilateral relationship as a “strategic partnership” and expressing hope for continued cooperation on key bilateral and international issues. A few days later, Putin formally invited Maduro to attend the upcoming BRICS+ meeting in Kazan. Discussions could include Venezuela’s potential application to join the bloc as the second Latin American representative (after Brazil).