Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that in connection with the escalating relations between the United States and Venezuela, Russia firmly condemns the excessive use of military force by the United States in the Caribbean under the pretext of combating drug trafficking.
“We categorically condemn the use of excessive military force in carrying out anti-drug missions,” she said, TASS reported.
“We affirm our firm support for Venezuela’s leadership in the protection of national sovereignty. We insist on maintaining Latin America and the Caribbean as a zone of peace. Measures are needed to calm the situation and facilitate the resolution of existing problems in a constructive manner, while respecting international legal norms,” Zakharova said.
The diplomat stressed that these actions “violate both U.S. domestic law (Article 1, Section 8 of the United States Constitution) and the norms of international law, in particular Article 2, Section 4 of the United Nations Charter, Articles 18-22 of the Charter of the Organization of American States, and Article 88 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.” “This has been recognized both by UN Secretary-General António Guterres and representatives of many countries and international organizations, including UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk,” she added.
Zakharova pointed out that bilateral relations between Moscow and Caracas are gradually developing in the spirit of strategic partnership, are not subject to fluctuations in external conditions and cover unjustified areas.
MNA/