🚨🇷🇺 Russia backs Venezuela’s sovereignty, urges de-escalation — Lavrov

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held a phone call with Venezuela’s executive vice president, the Foreign Ministry said, reaffirming Moscow’s position amid the current situation around Venezuela.

Key points from the conversation:

🔶Lavrov expressed Russia’s solidarity with the Venezuelan people in the face of armed aggression by the United States

🔶Russia confirmed it will continue supporting Caracas’ course aimed at defending national interests and sovereignty

🔶Both sides stressed the importance of preventing further escalation and seeking a way forward through dialogue

🔶Lavrov reaffirmed Russia’s commitment to strengthening the partnership between the two countries

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🇻🇪 Maduro supporters take to the streets of Caracas after US strikes and reports of the president’s capture

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🚨🇺🇸🇻🇪Trump outlines next steps after US strikes on Venezuela and Maduro’s capture

Speaking to Fox News after US strikes on Venezuela and the reported capture of President Nicolás Maduro, Donald Trump laid out Washington’s position on the operation, its aftermath, and what may come next.

Key statements from Trump:

👉Trump said he does not rule out a second wave of strikes on Venezuela, adding that the US is prepared for further action if needed.

👉He claimed Maduro was ready to negotiate shortly before being captured, but said Washington rejected talks.

👉Trump said Maduro and his wife are being transported to New York and are currently aboard a ship under US military control.

👉He described the raid on Maduro’s residence, saying it had steel doors and a reinforced safe area, and that US forces were prepared to breach it but did not need to.

👉Trump claimed no US troops were killed during the Venezuela operation.

👉Asked what comes next for Venezuela, Trump said the US is deciding now, arguing it cannot allow “somebody else to take over where he left off.”

👉In a separate remark, Trump said Mexico’s president is “a good woman” but claimed cartels are running Mexico, drawing a comparison to governance issues in the region.

Trump repeated that decisions on Venezuela’s future leadership and governance are still being made in Washington.

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🚨🇷🇺Russia urges US to release Venezuela’s president and first lady

❗️Russia’s Foreign Ministry has called on the United States to release Venezuela’s lawfully elected president and his wife.

👉Moscow also stressed the need to create conditions for resolving any US–Venezuela disputes through dialogue rather than force.

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🇺🇸🇻🇪 US operation in Venezuela will change global influence map — expert

📍 The strikes against targets in Venezuela are not merely a local event but rather a part of the US strategy to secure geographically close energy sources, security expert Abd Allah Al Sha`ya tells Sputnik.

Here are the key points:

🔶 The current situation reflects Washington’s drive to secure energy sources within its immediate sphere of influence, away from contested international sea routes

🔶 Gaining uninterrupted supplies from energy-rich Venezuela would also shield the US from crises similar to the energy crisis of the 1970s

💬 “The strategic objective is to install a loyal government that guarantees uninterrupted supplies, giving the United States greater room to maneuver in other international conflicts without fearing disruptions to supply chains,” Al Sha`ya says.

🔶 Securing stable and easily accessible energy sources would give Washington greater freedom to intervene in hotspots across Europe and Asia and pursue more biased policies in the Middle East — including expanded military and political support for Israel — without jeopardizing US energy security

👉 The current events require Arab and Islamic countries to “the reformulation of comprehensive political and security strategies” so as to protect sovereign interests, Al Sha`ya concludes.

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🇺🇸🇻🇪 US unveils sweeping indictments against Venezuela’s leadership

📍 US Attorney General Pam Bondi has detailed a wide-ranging federal indictment accusing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and senior figures from his inner circle of decades-long involvement in drug trafficking, narco-terrorism, and corruption, according to court documents.

Major charges outlined in the indictment include:

🔶 Narco-terrorism conspiracy: Allegations that Maduro and top officials partnered with armed groups and cartels to traffic cocaine into the US

🔶 Large-scale cocaine trafficking: Accusations of importing, distributing, and facilitating multi-ton shipments of cocaine over more than two decades

🔶 Collaboration with designated terrorist organizations: Claims of cooperation with groups such as the FARC, ELN, Sinaloa Cartel, Zetas, and Tren de Aragua

🔶 Weapons and firearms offenses: Charges related to the possession and use of machine guns and destructive devices in connection with drug trafficking

🔶 Corruption and abuse of state power: Allegations that state institutions, diplomatic channels, and military assets were used to protect and enable criminal activity

🔶 Forfeiture demands: The US seeks to seize assets allegedly derived from or used in these crimes

🔶 The indictment names Maduro, his wife, close relatives, and senior political and security officials, framing the case as one of the most extensive criminal prosecutions ever brought by the US against a foreign government’s leadership.

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🚨🇻🇪Current US administration must be held accountable for the operation in Venezuela, which constitutes a war crime — Venezuelan Foreign Ministry

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🚨🇺🇸🇻🇪Trump lays out US position after strikes on Venezuela

Speaking at a press conference following US strikes on Venezuela, Donald Trump outlined how the operation was carried out, what Washington claims it achieved, and what may come next.

Key statements from Trump:

👉Air, land, and sea forces were used in the operation

👉He called it “one of the most stunning, effective and powerful displays” of US military capability

👉Trump claimed Venezuela’s military capacity was rendered powerless and that parts of Caracas lost power due to US “expertise”

👉He said President Maduro and his wife will face American justice and were indicted in the Southern District of New York on narcoterrorism charges

👉Trump claimed US forces encountered no resistance, saying Venezuelan forces “knew we were coming”

👉He said no US soldiers were killed and no military equipment was lost

👉Trump stated the US will “run Venezuela” until what he called a safe, proper, and judicious transition is implemented

👉He said a second wave of strikes remains possible, though may no longer be necessary

👉Trump accused Venezuela of hosting foreign adversaries and using offensive weapons

👉He said major US oil companies would enter Venezuela, while stressing that the embargo on Venezuelan oil remains in effect and accusing Caracas of stealing US property

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🚨 Trump said Maduro could have been killed if he had resisted

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🇺🇸Trump says Venezuela will be run by a designated team, adding that “the people standing right behind me” will take charge for now.

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