Russia tells the US it is prepared for bilateral negotiations on Venezuela.
Russia is ready to take part in bilateral negotiations with the United States on the issue of Venezuela, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told his American counterpart on Saturday.
MOSCOW (Reuters) Russia is ready to take part in bilateral negotiations with the United States on the issue of Venezuela, the Russian Foreign Minister told his American counterpart on Saturday.
The situation in Venezuela was the main topic of a phone call between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, which took place on March 2, the Russian ministry said on its website.
"In connection with Washington's proposal to hold bilateral consultations on the issue of Venezuela, it has been established that Russia is ready to participate," the Ministry said in a statement.
"It is vital that this discussion be strictly guided by the principles of the United Nations Charter, since only the Venezuelan people have the right to determine their future," the statement said.
Russia and the United States have been at odds over a US-led campaign for international recognition of Juan Guaidó, the Venezuelan opposition leader who has declared himself interim head of state over President Nicolás Maduro.
In the phone call, initiated by the US, Lavrov condemned the threats Washington made against the "legitimate leadership of the country," the minister said, referring to Maduro.
The Speaker of the Upper House of Parliament, Valentina Matvienko, warned, however, that Russia will do everything possible to prevent a US military intervention in Venezuela.
According to the state news agency Tass, Matvienko told Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, who is visiting Moscow, that there is great concern that "the US will carry out provocations to find a justification for intervention." "But we will do everything possible to prevent this," said Matvienko, who is a very close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Earlier this month, the United States imposed new sanctions on six Venezuelan security officials and revoked the visas of dozens of associations and their family members with ties to Maduro, in the latest move to put more pressure on Maduro to resign.
Lavrov and Pompeo also agreed to continue expert-level negotiations on Syria, Afghanistan, and the Korean peninsula.
Reporting by Andrey Ostroukh