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Russian diplomat says US should stop irresponsible steps against Venezuela

The diplomat blasted Washington’s double standards, e.g. threatening to slap more sanctions against Russian and European companies, cooperating with Venezuelan state-owned oil and gas company PDVSA, while extending permission for US oil major Chevron to cooperate with PDVSA

VOLGOGRAD, November 1. /TASS/. Russia will continue calling on the United States to observe international and legal norms and stop sanctions and threats against Venezuela, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters on Friday.

"At all international venues, Russia will keep pushing the US to abide by norms and principles of international law," Zakharova said. "It’s time to abandon irresponsible steps such as slapping anti-Venezuelan sanctions and threats of using force. First, all this does not comply and directly contradicts international law, and second, it leads to deplorable results."

According to Zakharova, the goal to establish dialogue between the government and constructive opposition in Venezuela in order to normalize the situation in the country apparently conflicts with plans of the US, which is a major actor here. "The White House is still trying to act in line with the 'divide and rule' principle and those concepts and doctrines, which are inappropriate for use in the 21st century," the diplomat stated.

On the one hand, Washington has stepped up the implementation of an Inter-American Treaty on Reciprocal Assistance, declaring that it had no plans to use force against Venezuela. But on the other hand, the US has been pushing for arming the country’s neighbors with modern weapons, explaining this by a Venezuelan threat, she noted.

Washington’s unilateral economic sanctions introduced in order to topple the legitimate Venezuelan government have deteriorated the humanitarian situation in the country, triggered migration and also impeded the delivery of foodstuffs and medicines to seriously ill persons, Zakharova elaborated.

The diplomat has blasted Washington’s double standards. For example, the US is threatening to slap more sanctions against Russian and European companies, cooperating with Venezuelan state-owned oil and gas company PDVSA, while it extended permission for US oil major Chevron to cooperate with PDVSA in October.

"This is a new attempt to achieve competitive advantages for their own companies by using administrative methods. Certainly, all this has nothing to do with the concept of a free-market economy, which the US has been promoting," Zakharova concluded.