Russia has denounced a United States strike on a vessel accused of transporting illegal drugs off the Venezuelan coast, warning of the risk of escalating tensions across the wider Caribbean region.
According to Russia’s foreign ministry, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov discussed the incident by telephone with his Venezuelan counterpart, Yvan Gil, on Sunday.
“Sergei Lavrov said that Russia strongly condemns the new strike by the US armed forces on 3 October on a ship in international waters near Venezuela,” the ministry stated.
Both ministers voiced “serious concern about Washington’s escalating actions in the Caribbean Sea that are fraught with far-reaching consequences for the region.”
The strike, carried out on 3 October, resulted in the deaths of four people. Washington alleged the vessel was carrying “substantial amounts of narcotics – headed to America to poison our people.”
Moscow also suggested the United States might extend its declared war on drug cartels to include operations linked with the situation in Haiti.
Russia further cautioned against any broad interpretation of a recent UN Security Council resolution to expand an underfunded and understaffed international security mission in Haiti, which has been operating for 15 months against heavily armed gangs.
While 13 council members voted in favour of the resolution, Russia, China and Pakistan abstained.
“The Russian side has confirmed its full support and solidarity with the leadership and people of Venezuela in the current context,” Moscow’s statement concluded.
Copyright Ships & Ports Ltd. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit given to www.shipsandports.com.ng as the source.