Moscow, June 25: An air force aircraft of Russia that has landed in Venezuela was there to provide Russian armed forces equipment that was already in the nation, Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov has on Tuesday said, as per the Interfax news agency’s reports.
The Russian air force jet has landed in the Venezuelan main airport in the capital Caracas on Monday, according to Reuters news reports and a website that tracked the plane movement, some three months after the similar arrival that escalated tensions between Moscow and Washington.
“From all points of view this cooperation is transparent,” Ryabkov was quoted by Interfax as saying. “It does not have any elements of detribalization of the region or any other situation,” he added.
United States President Donald Trump had in March ordered Moscow to immediately withdraw all its armed forces stationed in Venezuela, while Russian foreign ministry has stated the aircraft that has landed there at that time were regarded only to carrying specialists who were providing arms sales contracts.
Russia has supported embattled Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, while the US and most of its western allies backed opposition leader Juan Guaido who has declared himself an interim leader of the crisis-hit Venezuela, arguing that the president’s 2018 re-election was rigged and illegal.