Russia explains why military specialists arrived to Venezuela

MOSCOW (Sputnik): Russian servicemen are in Venezuela legally, they are helping to carry out maintenance of previously supplied Russian military equipment, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said commenting on the recent call on Russia by US President Donald Trump to leave Venezuela.

“We have explained what our servicemen are doing in Venezuela, providing, on an absolutely legitimate and legal basis, the maintenance of military equipment, which we have delivered in accordance with an intergovernmental agreement ratified by the Venezuelan parliament and absolutely in line with the Venezuelan constitution,” Lavrov said in the “Moscow. Kremlin. Putin” program aired by Rossiya-1 television.

A group of Russian military personnel arrived in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas last week to take part in consultations with country’s officials on defence industry cooperation, a diplomatic source in Caracas told Sputnik. According to Venezuelan media reports, 99 Russian military staff arrived in Caracas on board two planes, which also delivered 35 tonnes of cargo.

On Wednesday, Trump said Russia “needed to get out” of Venezuela. Earlier in the week, Pompeo denounced in a phone call with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov “the continued insertion of Russian military personnel” in the Latin American country.

Earlier, US Special Representative for Venezuela Elliott Abrams, commenting on the arrival of Russian military aircraft in Caracas, said that various measures could be taken by Washington, particularly in economic terms, hinting at more sanctions against Russia.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on March 28 that the Russian military personnel’s presence in Venezuela was fully legitimate and in accordance with the defence agreement between Moscow and Caracas.

She added that the personnel would remain in the country for as long as Moscow and Caracas deem their presence necessary.

US uses nothing but ultimatums – Lavrov on Pompeo’s Remarks: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov criticized on Sunday the United States for using nothing but ultimatums and sanctions instead of diplomacy when dealing with other countries, commenting on US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s recent remarks about possible new anti-Russia measures.

“I can see nothing in the US diplomacy except for ultimatums, and — if they [ultimatums] are not met — sanctions. All other means have somehow disappeared from the arsenal of the US diplomacy, and it is deplorable,” Lavrov said in the “Moscow. Kremlin. Putin” program aired by Rossiya-1 television.

Earlier in the week, Pompeo said that he expected Washington and its NATO partners to announce a series of joint actions against Russia over Crimea and Ukraine in early April, when the United States will host a NATO ministerial meeting.

Also, Mike Pompeo said that the US State Department budget for the fiscal year 2020 prioritizes countering Russia’s activities in Europe and Eurasia.

US President Donald Trump has requested in his 2020 budget proposal that $40 billion be allocated for the State Department and the Agency for International Development (USAID). The request includes $661 million for efforts to counter Russia in Europe, Eurasia and Central Asia.