WASHINGTON, January 8. /TASS/. The US administration has declined to comment on whether Washington will pressure Venezuela into holding elections this year.

Commenting on the issue during a regular press briefing, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt referred to US President Donald Trump’s stance on the issue. "I will reiterate what the President has said a few times now to all of you, which is that it's too premature and too early to dictate a timetable for elections in Venezuela," she said.

At the same time, she referred to the government in Caracas as "interim leadership" several times during the briefing.

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil Pinto said on January 3 that the United States had attacked civilian and military facilities in Caracas. He condemned Washington’s actions as a military aggression. A state of emergency has been imposed in Venezuela. US President Donald Trump has confirmed the attack on Venezuela. According to the US leader, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife have been captures and taken out of the country. They were later brought to the United States and are held in a detention facility in Brooklyn, southern New York. On January 5, Maduro and his wife appeared before the US District Court for the Southern District of New York. US authorities accuse them of involvement in drug trafficking, allegations both defendants have denied.

Trump also claimed that the United States would assume interim governance of Venezuela. In addition, the US president expressed confidence that Washington would secure compensation from Caracas for US oil companies. Trump said Venezuela's interim government would be "turning over" between 30 and 50 million barrels of "high quality" oil to the US.