On Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov expressed frustration over what he sees as discrimination by the United States against other nations regarding its involvement with Venezuela’s oil sector, especially following the arrest of Nicolás Maduro, the socialist leader he labeled as a narco-terrorist.
The source of Lavrov’s ire was the U.S. Treasury’s recent actions that eased sanctions on Venezuela’s energy industry, but only for certain countries like Russia, China, and Iran.
Lavrov remarked, “This is blatant discrimination, especially since Russia, China, and Iran have made investments in Venezuela’s oil operations.” He made these comments during a speech at the State Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament.
He further accused the United States of aggressively pursuing its interests around the globe, acting as if it were the only nation free to do so.
“They’re actively promoting their interests in the Middle East, for instance, through peace initiatives. They’re also deeply involved in the situation with Iran. Additionally, areas like the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea are labeled as key regions for U.S. interests,” he noted emphatically.
“This is essentially a quest for global domination,” he stated.
Despite his confrontational rhetoric, Lavrov asserted that the Russian government is still open to cooperating with the U.S. regarding Venezuelan oil matters.
“In our communications with American colleagues, we keep advocating for collaboration based on mutual respect, avoiding interference in regions unrelated to the U.S. and that don’t pose a threat to its national security,” he explained.
He emphasized that Russian officials are discussing ways to work with the U.S. “without any ambitions of domination.”
On a similar note, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov mentioned that Russian officials are engaging in talks with the Trump administration about accessing Venezuelan oil.
“We are certainly involved in Venezuela; we have ongoing projects, and both our Venezuelan partners and we have vested interests. This warrants discussions with the American side,” he stated.
The Russian state energy firm, Rosalvezhneft, was formed in 2020 to navigate around U.S. sanctions imposed on Rosneft. Recently, it asserted that all its assets in Venezuela would remain under Russian ownership, even if the Maduro regime were to fall.
However, some international analysts suggest that Russia may eventually have to “write off” considerable investments in Venezuelan oil and potentially financial support provided to sustain Maduro’s government. They pointed out that Russia has done little to assist the Venezuelan population in transitioning away from the regime it has long supported.
Last week, Lavrov expressed concern, saying, “Our companies are being openly pushed out of Venezuela.”
He concluded, “It’s widely stated that American oil and liquefied natural gas will replace Russian oil and gas,” he told the Russian state media company RT.
