Venezuela President Maduro says 'united with US' in change of tone over Russia war

President Nicolas Muro of Venezuela, a staunch Russian ally and most vocal critic of US, EU, and West for hitting a barrage of financial and economic sanctions on Russia for invasion of Ukraine on Monday appeared to make a U-turn in his foreign policy, pledging support to West in Russian-Ukraine crisis. After Senior US officials flew to Venezuela to hold rare talks for breaking country’s longstanding Russian influence, Nicolas Muro’s government in a televised speech hurled praises on United States delegation over discussion on ‘topics of interest.” 

'What y are doing with Russia is mness..': Muro's past stance on West

In a change of tone after months of sabre-rattling over Ukraine, Muro has now expressed worry about escalating war between Russia and Ukraine, as he denounced armed Russian aggression and appealed for a diplomatic path forward for restoration of “peace.” Muro h earlier iterated that  West’s act of sanctions on Russian people “is a crime” and “economic war,” as he h reaffirmed alliance with Russia’s President Vlimir Putin.

Muro slammed US and allied nations to NATO for cutting off Russian banks from SWIFT international bank messaging system, banning regime’s prospects of tre in international market. "What y are doing with Russia is mness," Muro h lashed out at a televised event.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Muro, left, gestures as he speaks to Russian President Vlimir Putin during meeting at Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside in Moscow, Russia. Credit: AP

Russia, for deces, has been a key ally of Muro's leftist government and h presided over economic collapse of oil-rich nation due to Western sanctions. Venezuela, in turn, along with or Latin American allies such as Cuba and Nicaragua all targeted by US sanctions h expressed "strong support" for Russia’s military intervention in Kyiv, according to a Kremlin statement.

Moscow also has an enhanced Russian military presence in Venezuela, and elsewhere in Caribbean to counter NATO’s eastward expansion. Recently on February 16, Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov visited Caracas, Havana and Managua underlined Muro's government’s part in Ukrainian invasion as Russia allied nation is 6,500 miles from Kyiv. 

Russia’s Latin American ally, one of firm backers of Vlimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, on Saturday, however, met with White House and US state department negotiators, including White House viser for Latin America, Juan González; and United States ambassor to Venezuela, James Story in Venezuela’s capital, Caracas. He n appeared on state TV and confirmed that meeting took place at Miraflores Palace with Biden ministration officials, in presence of his political high command, Council of Vice Presidents, General Staff of Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB), and SEBIN. 

Jorge Rodríguez and Cilia Flores, president of Venezuelan national assembly sanctioned by US Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and ors from Muro’s inner circle attended meeting. US h slapped crippling sanctions on Muro’s political counterparts as it did not recognize Muro's 2018 reelection and accused South American nation of election fraud and stifling democratic setup. Venezuela’s Executive Vice President Tarek El Aissami (El Aissami) and Cabello — as well as front-men like Rafael Sarria, have all been hit by Russia like western sanctions.

Venezuela's PDVSA offices relocated from Lisbon to Moscow vulnerable to West’s sanctions

Venezuela's Nicolas Muro ministration h relocated Venezuelan state-owned oil and natural gas company PDVSA's offices in Lisbon to Moscow during acute political crisis to secure its assets, but now, as round of sanctions imposed by Western countries weighs on Russia, Moscow's allies in Latin America Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua are just as a worse hit. Especially after European Union cut off at least seven Russian financial institutions from SWIFT international payments network. Venezuela h been running on Russian financial system and West’s sanctions now threaten its ability to make transactions and cash provisions as revenues from oil sales are first converted to dollars. 

Credit: AP

As he held talks with US, Muro appeared to change his stance on Russia Ukraine war, as he said that his officials held talks with US delegation. “y know all details, everything that was discussed, topics of interest that we have agreed to work on an agenda going forward, “Muro, whose regime United States severed ties in 2019, said. He n stressed that meeting with US was "respectful, cordial, very diplomatic" and ded that flags of United States and Venezuela "must be united.”

Latin American leer continued, that he ratified "all will to, from diplomacy, respect and greatest hope for a better world, be able to move forward in an agenda that allows well-being and peace of peoples of our hemisphere, of entire America”. 

Venezuela to start dialogue process on Ukraine and Russia's war; US may be new energy partner

Muro announced that Venezuela will start a dialogue process on Ukraine and Russia's war with United States and West in Mexico, with mediation of Norway, an EU nation. "If we are asking for dialogue for world (Ukraine and Russia), we have to set example," he said while announcing that re will be "a reformatting" and a "dynamization" of negotiation process.

He went on to d: “We [Venezuela] are going to a more inclusive, more comprehensive, broer dialogue process, which reaches out to all Venezuelans who want to move our country forward, and which gives all political guarantees to coming processes in years to come. y are marked from now on, re are special marked years, and all guarantees must be given.”

Muro also appeared to incline towards West away from Russia, as he iterated that his nation has been evaluating strategic intelligence situation in Ukraine, and “with great sincerity and with desire for peace in world, we have to express that we are seriously concerned about possibility of a war in Europe and an extension to or regions of world.” 

“We are in a very dangerous moment and political and military high command of Venezuela has decided that we ring alert bell to peoples and leers of world, to seek peace, to seek conditions that allow truly solid agreements in negotiation process. between Russia and Ukraine,” said Muro. 

It is also being speculated that President Nicolas Muro’s change of tone could be attributed to Washington’s discussion of relying on Latin American for energy supplies as it seeks to reduce its oil imports of Russia. “As it relates to Venezuela, purpose of trip that was taken by ministration officials was to discuss a range of issues including certain energy, energy security,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters.