Russia has accused the United States of engaging in “piracy and banditry” following the seizure of oil tankers near Venezuela, calling the move unlawful and dangerous to international shipping.
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the actions amounted to “complete lawlessness” in the Caribbean Sea. She said practices long thought obsolete, including the seizure of others’ property, were being revived.
The seizure is part of a broader US effort under the Trump administration to pressure Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, whom Washington considers an authoritarian leader.
Zakharova said Moscow consistently supports de-escalation and expressed hope that “the pragmatism and rationality of US President Trump” would allow for solutions acceptable to all parties and consistent with international law.
She reaffirmed Russia’s backing of Maduro’s government, saying Moscow supports Venezuela’s efforts to protect its sovereignty, national interests, and stable development.
Russia has also warned that the US blockade poses a threat to international maritime traffic and could have unpredictable consequences for the Western Hemisphere. The White House has said it is not concerned by Russia’s position.
Separately, Moscow denied reports that it had begun evacuating staff from its embassy in Venezuela, rejecting claims that it is preparing for a further deterioration of the situation.
The denial followed an Associated Press report citing an anonymous European intelligence official who said Russia had started withdrawing diplomats’ families from Caracas last Friday. The report said Russian officials had privately described the situation in Venezuela in bleak terms.
In a statement posted on X, Russia’s Foreign Ministry dismissed the report as false and urged the public to avoid what it described as Western provocations, without directly addressing whether diplomats’ families had been relocated
