Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (L) is welcomed by his Venezuelan counterpart Jorge Arreaza at the Foreign Affairs Ministry in Caracas on February 7, 2020. (Photo by AFP)
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has condemned US sanctions against Venezuela as being "illegal" as Washington mulls ramping up pressure on the South American nation.
"These sanctions are illegal and are the main cause of the crisis in the Venezuelan economy," Lavrov said after meeting his Venezuelan counterpart Jorge Arreaza in the countrys capital Caracas on Friday.
He further said Russia considers "sanctions to be unacceptable, as are attempts to apply the laws of one country to another."
Lavrovs remarks came a day after he condemned the United States for seeking "regime change" in Venezuela by imposing sanctions on the countrys state energy giant Petroleos de Venezuela SA (PDVSA), supporting opposition leader Juan Guaido and attempting to create a pretext for military intervention there.
The US Department of the Treasury slapped sanctions on PDVSA last year in a bid to oust Venezuelas socialist President Nicolas Maduro, who has overseen an economic collapse in the South American country.
Earlier this year, the administration of US President Donald Trump imposed a new round of sanctions on Venezuela as part of attempts to pressure Maduro to resign.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on January 21 that the move was meant to support Juan Guaido, the US-backed opposition figure who claims to be the president.
Guaido was a guest at the US Congress when Trump delivered his State of the Union speech on Tuesday.
The US President described Guaido as "the true and legitimate president of Venezuela" and promised that Maduros "grip on tyranny will be smashed and broken."
Trump later met with Guaido at the White House on Wednesday, with his office issuing a statement saying that the meeting "was a historic discussion about how we can work together with our partners in the region to achieve a democratic transition in Venezuela."
Washington also warned Venezuela against harming Guaido or attempting to block his return to the country.
The US has backed Guaido as part of its efforts to topple the rule of Maduro, whom Trump calls a "socialist dictator who has destroyed his oil-rich nations once-vibrant economy."
Guaido pushed the oil-rich Latin American country into political turmoil by rejecting the results of the 2018 presidential election after President Maduro won nearly 70% of the vote.
He later declared himself "interim president" and was immediacy recognized by the Trump administration.
Although Guaido has the backing of the US and a number of countries, efforts to remove Maduro have stalled since he retains control of most state functions, and support of the powerful armed forces as well as that of allies China, Russia and Cuba.
In addition to sanctions, the Trump administration has tried to pressure Maduros foreign allies, including Cuba and Russia, to withdraw their support.
Robert C. OBrien, Trumps national security adviser, warned Wednesday that the United States could impose sanctions on Russias state-owned oil company, Rosneft, one of several energy giants with ties to Maduros government.
A Trump official speaking on the condition of anonymity also said that other energy companies that do business with the Maduro government, including Chevron, should be on notice, saying that "the Trump administration is halfway through its maximum pressure campaign on Maduro."
Venezuela has been in political turmoil since US-backed Guaido declared himself "interim president" in January.
The Trump administration has imposed a raft of sanctions against the Maduro government in an attempt to remove him from power, putting the countrys economy on the verge of recession.
Maduro, however, has remained in power, with the army refusing to side with Guaido.
SOURCE: PRESS TV
LINK: https://www.ansarpress.com/english/13735
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