Earlier today, the United States carried out an act of armed aggression against Venezuela. This has caused deep concern and condemnation, according to a statement issued by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“The pretexts cited to justify such actions are untenable. Ideologized hostility has prevailed over pragmatic considerations, as well as over a willingness to build relations based on trust and predictability.

In the current situation, it is crucial above all to prevent further escalation and to focus on finding a way out through dialogue. We proceed from the understanding that all partners who may have claims against one another should seek solutions to their problems through dialogue-based approaches. We are ready to support them in this.

Latin America must remain a zone of peace, as it proclaimed itself in 2014. Venezuela must be guaranteed the right to determine its own destiny without any destructive—especially military—interference from outside.

We reaffirm our solidarity with the Venezuelan people and our support for the course pursued by their Bolivarian leadership aimed at defending the country’s national interests and sovereignty.

We support the statements by the Venezuelan authorities and the leadership of Latin American countries calling for the urgent convening of a meeting of the UN Security Council.

The Russian Embassy in Caracas is operating under normal conditions, taking into account the situation, and maintains constant contact with the Venezuelan authorities as well as with Russian citizens on Venezuelan territory. At present, there is no information indicating that Russian citizens have been injured,” the statement said.