Russian, Belarusian Fms Strongly Condemn US Aggression Against Venezuela

(MENAFN- IANS) Moscow, Jan 4 (IANS) Russian and Belarusian foreign ministers strongly condemned US aggression against Venezuela during a phone call, the Russian foreign ministry said.

During the call, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Belarusian Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov exchanged views on the situation surrounding Venezuela, stressing that Moscow and Minsk are united in condemning actions in violation of international legal norms, Xinhua news agency reported.

They also stressed the unconditional necessity of the immediate release of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, their return to the country's capital, and the restoration of Maduro to the post of head of state.

The two sides further noted the importance of swiftly creating conditions for resolving the situation around Venezuela through dialogue in accordance with international law, the ministry said.

In an early morning operation on Saturday, US Delta forces attacked an army base in Venezuela, capping months of military buildup and picked up Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.

They were put on a warship for transportation to New York, where“narco-terrorism” charges have been filed in a federal court, US officials said.

“They're on a ship, and they'll be heading into New York”, US President Donald Trump told Fox News.“They went by helicopter on a nice flight. I'm sure they loved it”.

Trump has been criticising Maduro, accusing him of being involved in the drug trade and sending gangs to the US.

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