Russia comments on US seizure of Venezuelan oil tanker.

According to RIA Novosti, Russia's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Vasily Nebenzya, stated that Russia strongly condemns the seizure of Venezuelan oil tankers off its coast by various countries.

"We strongly condemn the US military's seizure of oil tankers and the effective naval blockade of Venezuela," said Russia's Permanent Representative Vasily Nebenzya at a Security Council meeting on December 23 (Washington time).

The Russian diplomat called such a blockade a "real act of aggression." Nebenzya added that the US, under the pretext of combating drugs and terrorism, was concealing its mission to strengthen its military presence in Latin America and put pressure on Venezuela – a country whose policies Washington considers incompatible with its own.

"Washington's responsibility for the catastrophic consequences of such actions on the inhabitants of the blocked nation is also very clear. Significantly, there is every reason to believe that the US action against Venezuela is not a one-off. This ongoing intervention could become a model for future strong actions against Latin American countries," said Nebenzia.

The Russian Permanent Representative stressed that such steps send a clear signal "to all countries in the region that seek to pursue a sovereign and independent path that defines their economic, political, and cultural systems," that Washington is ready to respect the independence and take into account the interests of countries in the region, when "countries are willing to adapt to US interests and pursue a path favorable to them."

Vasily Nebenzya reaffirmed Russia's solidarity with the Venezuelan people as they face the challenges they are facing in protecting their national interests and sovereignty.

Over the past few months, the U.S. has repeatedly used its armed forces to destroy ships believed to be transporting drugs. According to Washington, such operations are aimed at combating transnational crime and drug trafficking.

Because of this, relations between Venezuela and the United States have deteriorated significantly. The White House allowed the CIA to conduct covert operations in the republic to destabilize the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. And Attorney General Pam Bondi announced a $50 million reward for information that could lead to Maduro's arrest. The Venezuelan leader is allegedly accused of using terrorist organizations to transport drugs to the United States.

On December 23, the Wall Street Journal reported that the U.S. had deployed a large number of special operations aircraft, troops, and equipment to the Caribbean. Last week, the newspaper reported that the U.S. was preparing to launch targeted attacks on ground targets in Venezuela.