Image Credentials: Image Title: Russia Issues Warning to Trump Administration Over Venezuela ‘Blockade’ Source: (sora.openai) Date: December 2025. Attribution: This image was created using AI-generated imagery (sora.openai) and does not depict a real-world scene.
By Open Chronicle Staff with Agencies
MOSCOW — The Russian Foreign Ministry issued a sharp warning on Thursday, urging U.S. President Donald Trump not to make a “fatal mistake” regarding his escalating pressure on Venezuela. Moscow expressed deep concern over recent U.S. decisions that it claims threaten international shipping and regional stability.
The diplomatic friction follows President Trump’s Tuesday order of a “blockade” targeting all sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuelan waters. This move has already created a bottleneck in the Caribbean; following the U.S. seizure of a tanker last week, dozens of vessels carrying millions of barrels of oil are reportedly idling in Venezuelan waters to avoid being intercepted.
“We note the continuous and deliberate escalation of tensions around Venezuela, a country friendly to us,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in an official statement. “Of particular concern is the unilateral nature of decisions that pose a threat to international shipping.”
Despite the stern warning, Moscow’s rhetoric appeared to leave room for diplomacy. The Ministry stated it hopes the Trump administration—which it characterized as having a “rational and pragmatic approach”—will avoid actions that could lead to “unpredictable consequences for the entire Western Hemisphere.”
The Kremlin emphasized its continued support for “the Maduro government’s course” and advocated for a normalization of dialogue between Washington and Caracas rather than military or naval confrontation.
Separately, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that President Vladimir Putin recently held a telephone conversation with President Nicolás Maduro to discuss the crisis.
“We see tensions rising in the region and consider this to be potentially very dangerous,” Peskov told reporters. He called on all neighboring countries in South America and the Caribbean to exercise maximum restraint to avoid “unpredictable developments.”
The Russian intervention underscores the global stakes of the current standoff, as Venezuela remains a key strategic and energy partner for Moscow in the Western Hemisphere.