MOSCOW – Russia and Venezuela have jointly condemned a recent U.S. military strike in the Caribbean Sea, with their foreign ministers expressing "grave concern" over what they termed Washington's "increasingly escalatory actions" that threaten regional stability, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced Sunday.
The diplomatic rebuke came during a telephone conversation between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Venezuelan counterpart, Yvan Gil. Their discussion centered on a U.S. military operation on October 3.
According to reports referenced in the diplomatic exchange, the U.S. carried out a strike on a vessel alleged to be involved in drug trafficking off the coast of Venezuela. The operation, which took place in the area of responsibility of the U.S. Southern Command, reportedly resulted in the deaths of four individuals described by American sources as "narco-terrorists."
In a statement released after the call, the Russian Foreign Ministry conveyed the unified alarm of Moscow and Caracas. "The two ministers expressed grave concern over Washington's increasingly escalatory actions in the Caribbean Sea, which are fraught with far-reaching consequences for the entire region," the statement read.
Russia issued its own forceful and direct condemnation of the incident, framing it as a violation of international law.
"Russia strongly condemns the strike carried out by the US military on October 3 against a vessel in international waters off the Venezuelan coast," the ministry said.
The incident highlights the long-standing tensions between the United States and the allied governments of Russia and Venezuela. Washington has long accused the Venezuelan government of corruption and involvement in narcotics trafficking, imposing heavy sanctions on the country. For years, the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard have conducted counter-narcotics patrols in the Caribbean, often in proximity to Venezuelan territory.
Venezuela and its key ally, Russia, view these operations as aggressive provocations and an infringement on Venezuelan sovereignty. The phone call between Lavrov and Gil underscores the deepening strategic alignment between the two nations in countering U.S. influence in Latin America. Both countries have frequently accused the U.S. of using its military power to destabilize governments that oppose its foreign policy objectives.