MOSCOW, May 23. /TASS/. The presence of US warships off Venezuela does not enhance confidence, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told a briefing on Thursday.

According to the diplomat, on May 9, a warship of the US Coast Guard was spotted 20 kilometers off the Venezuelan port of La Guaira. "This activity only aggravates the situation and does not contribute to the strengthening of trust," the diplomat stressed.

"At the same time, the radical opposition has initiated negotiations with the Southern Command of the US Armed Forces to overthrow the legitimate government," she added.

The diplomat reiterated that Moscow was urging the Venezuelan politicians to peaceful methods in the settlement of the crisis, calling inadmissible the moves triggering a civil war and violence.

She also condemned last week’s incident in which US police officers broke into the building of the Venezuelan Embassy in Washington. "This is a gross violation of Article 22 and Article 45 of the Vienna Convention in regards to ensuring the protection of the diplomatic mission," she stated.

Political crisis in Venezuela worsened after on January 23 Juan Guaido, Venezuelan opposition leader and parliament speaker, whose appointment to that position had been cancelled by the country’s Supreme Court, declared himself interim president at a rally in the country’s capital of Caracas.

He was recognized by the United States along with Lima Group members (excluding Mexico), the Organization of American States and most European Union’s member-states. Russia, Belarus, Bolivia, Iran, Cuba, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Syria and Turkey voiced support for Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.