Moscow, Jan 3 A US military operation against Venezuela has no legitimate basis since the South American country has posed no threat to the United States, Konstantin Kosachev, Deputy Speaker of Russia's Federation Council, said on Saturday.
"Without any doubt, Venezuela has created no threats to the United States -- neither military, nor humanitarian, nor criminal, nor drug-related," Kosachev wrote on his Telegram channel.
"Therefore, the current military operation, like the actions taken against Venezuela over recent days and weeks, has no substantive grounds," he said, Xinhua news agency reported. Kosachev stressed that the international order should be based on international law rather than on so-called rules imposed by individual countries.
He said international law has clearly been violated, adding that "an order established in this manner must not prevail."
Kosachev also expressed confidence that most nations would firmly distance themselves from the attack on Venezuela and condemn it.
Earlier in the day, Moscow described the US action as "deeply concerning" and condemnable.
"The pretexts used to justify such actions are untenable. Ideological hostility has triumphed over businesslike pragmatism and a willingness to build relationships of trust and predictability," read a statement issued by the Russian Foreign Ministry.
Russia insisted that that all partners who may have grievances against each other should seek solutions through dialogue and prevent further escalation.
"Latin America must remain the zone of peace it declared itself to be in 2014. And Venezuela must be guaranteed the right to determine its own destiny without any destructive, let alone military, outside intervention. We reaffirm our solidarity with the Venezuelan people and our support for the course of their Bolivarian leadership, aimed at protecting the national interests and sovereignty of the country," the statement added.
Russia also backed the statement by the Venezuelan authorities and the leadership of Latin American countries on the urgent convening of a meeting of the UN Security Council.
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