The status quo on Venezuela is “intolerable” and must change, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday, brushing aside Moscow’s support for Caracas amid Russia’s grinding war in Ukraine.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday that Washington is not worried about tensions escalating with Russia over Venezuela, even as the Trump administration increases its military presence in the Caribbean.
The United States has deployed thousands of troops to the region, along with an aircraft carrier, warships and fighter jets, as part of the buildup.
“We’re not concerned about an escalation with Russia when it comes to Venezuela,” Rubio told reporters.
He said the United States has long expected Moscow to offer verbal backing to President Nicolás Maduro’s government, but stressed that such support does not influence Washington’s approach. “That’s not a factor in how we look at this situation,” Rubio said.
Rubio described the current situation in Venezuela as “intolerable” and said it must change, downplaying Russia’s support for Caracas as Moscow remains heavily engaged in its war in Ukraine.
“It’s clear that the status quo with the Venezuelan regime is unacceptable for the United States,” he said, adding that Washington is not concerned about provoking Russia on the issue because “they have their hands full in Ukraine.”
Russia’s Foreign Ministry said on Thursday it hoped the Trump administration would avoid making what it called a potentially disastrous decision on Venezuela, and said it was worried about US actions that could threaten international shipping.
While Venezuela and Russia have close ties, a recent strategy document from Trump said the United States will reassert its dominance in the Western Hemisphere and argued that the U.S. should revive the 19th century Monroe Doctrine, which declared the Western Hemisphere to be Washington’s zone of influence.
The Trump administration has also carried out strikes against suspected drug vessels in the region, seized a sanctioned oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, and declared a ”blockade” of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela.
Trump has also repeatedly said that strikes on land in Venezuela are coming soon.
Democratic lawmakers have said that the Trump administration has provided limited information about the operations in the region.
”Nothing has happened that requires us to notify Congress or get congressional approval or cross the threshold into war,” Rubio said.
With inputs from agencies
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