US President Donald Trump must fulfill his pledge to withdraw US troops from Syria before urging Russia to "get out" of Venezuela, a spokeswoman for Russia's Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova said.
Zakharova was even tougher to say that the US "chaotic and unpredictable steps" foment global disorder. She also said Western states are being hypocritical when they say that Venezuela needs humanitarian aid while freezing Caracas' bank accounts around the world.
Venezuela is undergoing a political crisis, which began in January when Congressman Juan Guaidó was elected president of the National Assembly, whose authority has not been recognized by other government bodies since the establishment of an overwhelmingly mature Constituent Assembly. The Venezuelan Supreme Court overturned its designation, but Guaidó proclaimed himself the "interim president" of the country based on the illegitimacy of the elections that granted a new mandate to Maduro and in the Constitution that grants the temporary presence of Venezuela to the leader of the National Assembly until the convocation of a new lawsuit.
On Saturday, a group of Russian military personnel visited Venezuela to discuss cooperation in the defense industry. About 100 Russian soldiers arrived in Caracas on board two planes, which also delivered 35 tons of humanitarian aid.
Trump told a White House meeting on Wednesday that "Russia has to leave" Venezuela. When asked how this can be done, he added that "all options are open".
US troops operate in Syria as part of an international coalition to fight the Daesh * terrorist group for about five years without the permission of Damascus or the UN Security Council. Trump surprised his allies in December by announcing the withdrawal of 2,000 troops from Syria, but the promise has not yet been fully fulfilled.
