Venezuela Floats the Idea of Offering Military Assistance to Russia if the US Continues Getting Involved in Ukraine

According to Russia’s Ambassador to Venezuela, Sergey Melik-Bagdasar, Venezuela is prepared to supply Russia with military and technical assistance in case Russian-US relations continue going further south.

Per a report by TASS, the Russian Ambassador to Venezuela made this observation on January 22 on the YouTube channel Soloviev.Live. 

When he was asked if Venezuela would be able to send military and technical assistance to Russia, Melik-Bagdasar said "absolutely.” He stressed that this would be the case if Russian-US relations dramatically worsen.

"From the very first minutes of the hysteria, which was sparked by the words of Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Alexeyevich Ryabkov [about the potential deployment of Russian military infrastructure to Venezuela or Cuba], in the West and the United States, I have been receiving calls from Venezuelan politicians and cabinet members. I have held meetings with them, and they pledged their unequivocal and, in general, unhesitating support, since they have gone through that and are going through it together with us."

"It is this form of unprecedented pressure involving illegal restrictive measures, slander and persecution in the international arena, along with all the means of pressure available to our Western counterparts," the ambassador continued. "They face it all in full, so they are well aware that the relations between our countries have the possibility of strengthening further on."

According to the TASS report, Venezuela and Russia’s military and technical cooperation started in 2001 after both parties signed an agreement.

"Our specialists, who repair and maintain military hardware, are carrying on with their work here. We strenuously bolster Venezuela’s defense capabilities," Melik-Bagdasarov declared. 

The diplomat stressed that forms of aid from Venezuela can come in all shapes and sizes. 

"Venezuela has quite a developed infrastructure of ports. It has deep-water ports and civilian ports. There is a wide range of the Venezuelan Navy’s bases. Another thing is that this is quite a sensitive topic, what is more, our aircraft carriers, guided missile cruisers have called here. And we see absolutely nothing extraordinary in that," Melik-Bagdasarov said in concluding remarks.

Previously, Ryabkov said during an interview on RTVI that the potential deployment of Russian military assets to Cuba and Venezuela was being considered. He stressed that he did not want to “confirm anything” but also noted that he would "not rule anything out either."

Overall, Russia’s and Venezuela’s relations are pretty tight. Russia could potentially use this partnership as a way to poke the US in the eye in the case it gets overly-enthusiastic about intervening in Russia’s backyard. 

The US should make sure to reorient its foreign policy and focus on the Western Hemisphere. With regards to Venezuela, the US should not let it weaponize migration. It can stop that by securing its border and reducing its diplomatic ties with Venezuela when it harms US interest.

However, the US should reject the neocon impulse for regime change and destabilization and pursue a foreign policy of realism instead.