'Kick Out China, Russia, Iran; Partner Only With US': Trump Issues Oil Ultimatum To Venezuela

Washington: In a bold escalation of geopolitical pressure, the Trump administration has delivered an ultimatum to Venezuela’s interim leadership to sever ties with China, Russia, Iran and Cuba and align exclusively with the United States on oil production and sales, according to local news reports.

The White House, led by President Donald Trump, has told Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodríguez that continued access to oil exports, the lifeblood of Caracas’s economy, hinges on complying with US demands. The goal, sources say, is to disrupt Venezuela’s existing partnerships with Beijing and Moscow and shift the country’s oil trade toward Washington and Western markets.

According to people familiar with the administration’s plan, the US wants Venezuela to expel advisers from China, Russia, Iran and Cuba, and to enter into an exclusive oil production partnership with American companies, including prioritising US buyers for Venezuelan heavy crude oil.

The Trump administration’s pressure strategy comes amid significant upheaval in Venezuela, where political instability has been supported by an ongoing US naval blockade that has left many Venezuelan oil tankers unable to ship crude abroad. The blockade has reportedly forced Caracas to halt production at certain wells due to lack of storage capacity.

In a separate development, Trump announced that Venezuela would transfer up to 50 million barrels of sanctioned crude to the United States, a deal estimated to be worth nearly 2.8-3 billion Dollars at current market prices. Trump said the oil will be sold at market rates, with the proceeds controlled by the US to “benefit both the people of Venezuela and the United States”.

The move marks a dramatic shift in the Western Hemisphere’s oil landscape. China has long been one of Venezuela’s biggest oil customers, purchasing hundreds of thousands of barrels per day and investing billions in Venezuelan energy infrastructure. Severing that relationship would represent a major geopolitical re-alignment.

Meanwhile, US lawmakers and senior officials argue that Venezuela’s economic vulnerability, heightened by full oil tankers and restricted exports, gives Washington leverage to reshape Caracas’s foreign partnerships. Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker has suggested that the US strategy could push Venezuelan authorities toward cooperation without the need for US military forces.

Critics of the policy, including analysts in Beijing and Caracas, have condemned the demands as coercive and an infringement on Venezuelan sovereignty. They warn that forcing Caracas to cut ties with long-standing partners could de-stabilise an already fragile economy and escalate tensions with major global powers.

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