Russia says 'didn't discuss establishing military bases' in talks with Venezuela

On Friday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the issue of the deployment of Russian military bases in Venezuela was not discussed between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Nicolas Maduro in the recent telephonic conversation. According to Peskov, both leaders held a conversation on Thursday, January 20, to discuss Russian-Venezuelan bilateral cooperation.

"The matter regarding military bases was not specifically touched upon. Overall, bilateral cooperation between two countries is diverse and partnership-oriented. During the conversation, the most varied facets of this interaction were covered," the Kremlin's spokesman told reporters.

As tension with the US over Ukraine escalate and NATO operations near Russian territory increases, Russia's Foreign Ministry stated last week that it wouldn't rule out sending troops to Venezuela and Cuba. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said that he would "neither confirm nor exclude" the possibility of Russia sending troops to Cuba and Venezuela if the talks fail and Washington continues to put pressure on Moscow, the Associated Press (AP) reported. Amid a buildup of Russian troops near Ukraine, the Geneva talks and the Russia-NATO Council meeting in Vienna on January 12 failed to narrow the gap on Moscow's security demands. 

Russia emphasises plan to recognise Republic of Donbass

Peskov also mentioned the Kremlin's plan to recognise the self-proclaimed Republic of Donbass, but emphasised that the aim right now is to avoid any further escalation. "I would like to emphasise that, given how stressful and sensitive the situation is, it's critical to avoid taking any steps that could exacerbate tensions," he was quoted by Sputnik as saying.

Peskov further went on to state that it's critical to avoid seeking to "gain political points" in the current situation. Ukraine has been at war against the Donetsk People's Republic (Dombass) and the Lugansk People's Republic since they declared their independence following a violent coup in Kyiv in 2014.  

Russia-Venezuela relations

It is significant to mention here that relations between Russia and Venezuela involve collaboration in areas of mutual interest, such as their common status as oil exporters and policy towards the United States.

Venezuela is also Russia's most important Latin American economic and military ally. Russia dispatched two Tupolev Tu-160 bombers to Venezuela in December 2018. These jets are equipped with nuclear weapons. Later, the Russian and Venezuelan troops also held joint military drills.

(Image: AP)