Russia on Tuesday expressed approval for Delcy Rodríguez’s appointment as Venezuela’s interim president, describing it as a measure to safeguard peace and stability amid what Moscow called “blatant neocolonial threats and foreign armed aggression.”
The Russian Foreign Ministry emphasized Venezuela’s sovereignty, saying, “We firmly insist that Venezuela should have the guaranteed right to determine its destiny on its own, without any destructive interference from the outside.”
It also extended support to Rodríguez, stating, “We wish the authorized President of Venezuela Delcy Rodríguez success in resolving the tasks facing the Bolivarian Republic. On our part, we express readiness to continue rendering necessary support to friendly Venezuela.”
The statement made no direct mention of the United States. Last Saturday, President Donald Trump ordered strikes in Venezuela during which US forces captured Maduro and his wife, First Lady Cilia Flores, and removed them from the country.
The couple now faces multiple charges in New York, including conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism and import cocaine, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices against the United States. They appeared in court for the first time on Monday.
Although Moscow has called for Maduro and Flores’ release, it has refrained from taking any direct action following the US operation.
According to The New York Times, US officials had considered Rodríguez for the interim presidency weeks before the raid. Intermediaries reportedly convinced the Trump administration that she would support future American energy ventures in Venezuela.
Trump’s move to assert temporary US control over Venezuela, home to the world’s largest proven oil reserves, is said to have heightened concerns in Moscow about American influence on global energy markets.
Yet some Russian officials see potential strategic advantage. A source told Reuters, “But if this is an example of Trump’s Monroe Doctrine in action, as it seems to be, then Russia also has its own sphere of influence,” referring to Moscow’s focus on former Soviet states, including Ukraine, the Caucasus, and Central Asia.
Maduro’s removal marks another blow to Russia’s close allies, following Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s ousting in December 2024.
Moscow reportedly offered a deal to the first Trump administration in 2019, proposing that Washington could exert influence in Venezuela in exchange for Russia maintaining its position in Ukraine.
Fiona Hill, a former senior White House advisor on Russia and Europe, said in a deposition that year: “They were basically signaling: You know, you have your Monroe Doctrine. You want us out of your backyard. Well, you know, we have our own version of this. You’re in our backyard in Ukraine.”