Moscow demands US explanation after Venezuelan tanker seizure

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov expressed hope that the United States would clarify the circumstances surrounding the tanker detained off Venezuela’s coast while transporting Venezuelan oil to Cuba.

“I very much hope that the United States, despite believing it has the right to conduct such operations, will nonetheless explain — out of respect for other members of the international community — on what grounds and based on which facts it undertakes such actions,” Lavrov said during an ambassadors’ roundtable on the situation in Ukraine.

“There is far too little information here. I do not know how the United States views the Venezuelan situation, apart from President [Donald] Trump publicly demanding regime change or the voluntary resignation of [Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro]. Yet Chevron operates in Venezuela and purchases Venezuelan oil. What ‘illegal volumes’ of this type of fuel were on that tanker — this needs to be clarified,” he added.

Lavrov also stressed that Russia advocates for discussions on combating drug trafficking and ensuring maritime security to be conducted collectively, rather than leaving the international community confronted with unilateral actions as a fait accompli.

On December 11, US forces intercepted and seized a sanctioned Venezuelan oil tanker off the country’s coast, marking a significant escalation in tensions between Washington and Caracas.

“We’ve just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela — a large tanker, very large, the largest one ever seized, actually,” President Trump announced at the White House. “And other things are happening.”

A senior Trump administration official described the vessel as “a stateless vessel” that last docked in Venezuela.

The Trump administration has been increasing pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, whom it accuses of overseeing narcotrafficking operations. The Pentagon has carried out over 20 strikes against alleged drug-trafficking vessels near Venezuela and Colombia, reportedly killing more than 80 suspects. Trump has repeatedly hinted at the possibility of US strikes on land, declaring that Maduro’s “days are numbered.”

In response, Maduro has mobilised troops, ships, aircraft, and drones along the Colombian border, the coast, and surrounding islands, while urging citizens to join a militia to counter perceived US threats.

By Tamilla Hasanova