Overview
- Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova restated firm political and military support for Caracas and argued disputes should be resolved legally and diplomatically.
- Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov called recent U.S. deployments in the Caribbean unjustified and blamed Washington for creating significant tensions, noting channels with Venezuela remain open.
- Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia is in permanent contact with Venezuelan authorities and referenced existing contractual commitments under their strategic partnership.
- Duma member Alexei Zhuravlyov claimed Pantsir‑S1 and Buk‑M2E air-defense systems arrived in Caracas on Il‑76 flights, with additional missile supplies discussed in Russian reports, which have not been independently verified.
- Regional stakes rose as reports pointed to an expected USS Gerald R. Ford deployment near Venezuela, while President Nicolás Maduro said military cooperation with Russia is advancing and communication with Vladimir Putin is daily.