MOSCOW, July 4. /TASS/. Certain European countries seek to make any rapprochement between the Venezuelan opposition and the government "toxic", Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Saturday.

"The European Union has passed a package of sanctions against a group of the country’s politicians, including from the opposition camp, who call for a constructive dialogue with the authorities. It is important that the efforts of the foreign ministers of Venezuela and the EU helped, however, to avoid any further escalation of the diplomatic crisis," Zakharova recalled.

"Not only do the steps taken in European capitals facilitate this, they pose a risk of bringing the situation to a standstill. Their initiators admit their own defeat and a lack of ideas on the track of Venezuelan settlement. The goal remains the same of making ‘toxic’ any rapprochement between the opposition and Chavists and to prevent the conflicting sides from finding common ground," she added.