MOSCOW, December 22. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Venezuelan counterpart Yvan Gil Pinto are both worried about the escalatory steps taken by the United States in the Caribbean Sea, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

"The ministers expressed serious concern over the intensification of Washington’s escalatory steps in the Caribbean Sea, which may have wide-reaching consequences for the region and create a threat to international maritime traffic," the statement reads.

The Russian side "reaffirmed its extensive support and solidarity with the people and the government of Venezuela in this context," the ministry added.

"The ministers have agreed to cooperate closely in the bilateral format and coordinate actions on international platforms, first of all at the UN, to ensure that sovereignty of states is respected and [to prevent] meddling in their domestic affairs," the ministry added.

Washington has baselessly accused the Venezuelan government of not doing enough to combat drug smuggling. According to the New York Times newspaper, Trump has allowed the CIA to conduct covert operations in Venezuela. In November, the Pentagon announced that the US Navy led by the aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford had entered the area of responsibility of the US Southern Command to combat drug smuggling in the region. Over recent months, under the pretext of fighting drug smuggling, the US Armed Forces destroyed more than 20 boats off the coast of Latin America, resulting in nearly 100 casualties. On top of that, Washington has announced the closure of airspace above Venezuela and a blockade for oil tankers blacklisted by the US.

The US media has made numerous reports that the United States is about to start attacking ground targets in Venezuela, reportedly controlled by drug cartels. Russia hopes that the US administration will demonstrate a pragmatic approach to the situation around Venezuela to avoid mistakes that will impact the entire region, said Alexander Shchetinin, the director of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Latin American department.