Moscow Considers US Economic Pressure On Caracas Unacceptable - Foreign Ministry

Moscow believes that Washington's economic sanctions on Venezuela are unacceptable and does not exclude the possibility that the US-driven pressure on Caracas is dictated by oil interests, the Russian Foreign Ministry's spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, said Thursday

ORENBURG (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 15th August, 2019) Moscow believes that Washington's economic sanctions on Venezuela are unacceptable and does not exclude the possibility that the US-driven pressure on Caracas is dictated by oil interests, the Russian Foreign Ministry's spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, said Thursday.

On August 6, US President Donald Trump issued an executive order to freeze all assets held by the Venezuelan government in the United States, including those of the Venezuelan Central Bank and state-run oil company PDVSA. The decree also authorized sanctions against any foreign entities supporting Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

"The White House continues to pressure the [Venezuelan] people ... These steps, in [Russia's] opinion, only exacerbate the situation.

There have been unacceptable threats to completely blockade Venezuela," Zakharova said at a briefing.

The spokeswoman added that politically motivated US elites with business and energy interests completely ignored Russia's calls to remove Venezuela's social sector out from under the sanctions.

Venezuela has been suffering from an acute political crisis since January, when US-backed Juan Guaido proclaimed himself interim president in a bid to oust Maduro after the latter's re-election. The United States and its allies, including many EU nations, swiftly recognized Guaido's self-nomination, while Russia and China, among others, have voiced their support for Maduro as the country's only legitimate president.