Russia on Thursday pushed back against President Trump’s call to “get out” of Venezuela, with a foreign ministry spokeswoman saying Moscow sent “specialists” to the crisis-stricken nation who don’t pose a threat.
Maria Zakharova made the remark during a briefing, Reuters reported.
{mosads}“Russia is not changing the balance of power in the region, Russia is not threatening anyone, unlike [officials] in Washington,” she added, according to the news service.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov added during a conference call with reporters that Russian specialists are in Venezuela for previously-agreed-to contracts regarding the supply of weapons and that Moscow is not interfering in the internal affairs of the country, Reuters noted.
Trump on Wednesday warned Russia against military involvement in Venezuela.
“Russia has to get out,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office as he met with the Fabiana Rosales, the wife of Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó, who is backed by the U.S. and American allies.
The Kremlin is backing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Two Russian military planes carrying about 100 troops reportedly landed in Venezuela over the weekend.