Russia, Belarus leaders reach out to Venezuela’s Maduro, as Trump cranks up pressure
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Venezuela's Mr Maduro (centre) spoke with Russia's Mr Putin (right) on Dec 11, while Belarus' Mr Lukashenko (left) met with Venezuela's ambassador, raising the possibility that Mr Maduro could seek refuge abroad.
PHOTOS: REUTERS, AFP
Follow topic:
- Maduro reportedly told Trump he'd leave Venezuela with amnesty.
- Belarus offered Maduro refuge, coordinating plans with Russia. Lukashenko reminded the Venezuelan ambassador they would "coordinate certain matters".
- Russia reaffirmed support for Maduro. The US hopes to avoid further conflict.
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MOSCOW - Russia and its close ally Belarus reached out to Venezuela’s embattled leader, Nicolas Maduro, on Dec 11 as US President Donald Trump ramps up pressure for his removal,
Mr Maduro told Mr Trump in a phone call on Nov 21 that he was ready to leave Venezuela, provided that he and his family had full legal amnesty, sources have told Reuters.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Dec 11 held his second meeting in 17 days with Mr Jesus Rafael Salazar Velazquez, the Venezuelan ambassador to Moscow.
According to Belarusian state news agency Belta, Mr Lukashenko told the envoy on Nov 25 that Mr Maduro was always welcome in Belarus and it was time for him to pay a visit.
On Dec 11, Belta quoted Mr Lukashenko as reminding Mr Velazquez they had agreed at the first meeting to “coordinate certain matters” with Mr Maduro.
“We agreed that, after resolving certain issues, you would find time to come to me and meet again so we could make the appropriate decision, which is within our competence. And if necessary, we will then involve the president of Venezuela.”
Reuters requested comment from Mr Lukashenko’s office on the significance of the meetings and whether Belarus would be willing to offer sanctuary to Mr Maduro if he stepped down.
It did not respond.
The Kremlin said President Vladimir Putin, in a phone call to the Venezuelan leader on Dec 11, “reaffirmed his support for the policy of N. Maduro’s government, aimed at protecting national interests and sovereignty in the face of growing external pressure.”
US military build-up
The Trump administration has said it does not recognise Mr Maduro, in power since 2013, as Venezuela’s legitimate president. He claimed to have won re-election in 2024 in a vote dismissed as a sham by the US and other Western governments.
Independent observers said the opposition had won overwhelmingly.
In recent months, Mr Trump has intensified pressure on Venezuela, not least with a massive military build-up in the Caribbean.
In an interview with Politico this week, Mr Trump said Mr Maduro’s “days are numbered”, while declining to say whether he would be willing to send US troops into Venezuela.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters on Dec 11: “We hope that the White House will manage to prevent a further slide into a full-scale conflict, which threatens to have unpredictable consequences for the entire Western Hemisphere.”
Mr Lukashenko, the veteran authoritarian leader of Belarus, has friendly ties with Venezuela and has also this year entered a dialogue with the Trump administration, after years of being shunned by Washington and other Western governments over his human rights record and support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Mr Trump has started to ease US sanctions on Belarus and in November named a special envoy, Mr John Coale, to pursue further negotiations with Mr Lukashenko on the release of political prisoners. REUTERS
