Moscow, January 26 - Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov reiterated that his country insists on the immediate release of the President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife, according to a statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry today.
In comments to the TASS news agency, reported by the Eurasian giant's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the deputy minister described the actions orchestrated by the United States on January 3 in Venezuelan territory as a violation of international law and the security of a sovereign nation.
When asked about Moscow's willingness to grant political asylum to the South American leader if he is released, Ryabkov emphasized that any future scenario can only be considered after Maduro and Cilia Flores are freed.
"The first step, without which everything else remains purely hypothetical, is the release of Maduro and his wife," the diplomat said.
"What the future disposition will be is a separate matter. And right now, there is simply no reason to talk about it," concluded the deputy minister.
Under the pretext of fighting narcoterrorism, Washington launched a massive military aggression in Venezuelan territory on January 3, affecting the capital city, Caracas, and the states of Miranda, Aragua, and La Guaira.
The operation ended with the kidnapping of Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who were transferred to the American city of New York.
The targeted locations were primarily of military interest, where air defense equipment and communication systems were deployed, although urban areas were also reached where there were civilian casualties.
Since then, the Venezuelan authorities have characterized Washington's actions as a "very serious military aggression," while also warning that the goal "is none other than to seize Venezuela's strategic resources, particularly its oil and minerals, attempting to forcibly break the nation's political independence."
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Interior, Justice, and Peace of the Latin American country confirmed that at least 100 people died in the military offensive, including 32 Cuban fighters who were on missions at the request of the Venezuelan armed and security forces.
The majority of the international community advocates for the release of Maduro and his wife, insisting that Venezuela must be guaranteed the right to decide its own destiny without any external intervention.
