Maduro requested military assistance from Moscow amid US pressure — Washington Post

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro appealed to Moscow for military assistance amid pressure from the United States. It is reported by The Washington Post.

"The documents show that amid the build-up of American forces in the Caribbean, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is addressing Russia, China and Iran is being asked to strengthen its military capabilities by requesting defensive radars, aircraft repairs and possibly missiles, according to internal US government documents obtained by The Washington Post," the publication says.

It is noted that the request to Moscow was written and addressed to Russian President Vladimir Putin, it was supposed to be delivered this month during a visit to the Russian capital by a high-ranking aide. According to the documents, Maduro also sent a letter to Chinese President Xi Jinping asking for "increased military cooperation" between the two countries to counter "escalation between the United States and Venezuela."

"In the message, Maduro stressed the seriousness of the alleged US aggression in In the Caribbean, presenting the US military actions against Venezuela as actions against China because of their common ideology," the US documents say.

The documents also claim that the head of the Ministry of Transport, Ramon Celestino Velasquez, recently coordinated the shipment of military equipment and UAVs from Iran. The minister allegedly told an Iranian official that Venezuela needs "almost certainly unmanned aerial vehicles with a range of 1,000 km."