Putin offers 'solidarity' for Venezuelan people as tensions mount between Maduro and US

Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed “solidarity with the Venezuelan people” amid growing tensions between Venezuela’s leader, Nicolás Maduro, and the Trump administration. The Kremlin said in a statement on Thursday that Putin reaffirmed his support for Maduro’s policy of “protecting national interests and sovereignty in the face of growing external pressure.” The call comes a day after American forces seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela. The Venezuelan government said Putin had told Maduro that Russia would continue to support Venezuela “in its struggle to assert its sovereignty.