Lavrov Criticizes US for Arresting Venezuelan President

The US attack on Venezuela was a brutal armed invasion that resulted in numerous casualties and injuries, said Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

"I have already noted how tumultuous this year began. We witnessed unprecedented events—the US's brutal armed invasion of Venezuela, which led to the deaths and injuries of dozens of people, as well as the abduction and deportation of the legitimate president, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife," he said during the news conference summarizing Russia's diplomatic activities in 2025.

On January 3, the US launched a massive assault on Venezuela, capturing President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and transferring them to New York. US authorities allege that they were involved in 'narcoterrorism.'