The United States is not concerned about a potential escalation with Russia over Venezuela, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said, as President Donald Trump increases U.S. military deployments in the Caribbean.
The Trump administration has sent thousands of troops to the region, along with an aircraft carrier, warships and fighter jets, as part of what it says is a campaign to counter drug trafficking and pressure the government of President Nicolás Maduro.
Speaking to reporters on Friday during a marathon end-of-year news conference in Washington, Rubio said the United States did not view Russia’s involvement in Venezuela as a decisive factor in its decision-making.
"We’re not concerned about an escalation with Russia, with regards to Venezuela," he said, adding that Washington expected Moscow to offer rhetorical support for the Maduro government.
Russia’s foreign ministry responded on Thursday by warning the Trump administration not to make what it called a "fatal mistake" over Venezuela. Moscow said it was concerned about U.S. actions that could threaten international shipping, while reiterating its close ties with Caracas.
The Trump administration has stepped up operations in the region in recent weeks. It has carried out strikes against suspected drug-trafficking vessels, seized a sanctioned oil tanker off the Venezuelan coast and declared a “blockade” of sanctioned oil shipments entering and leaving the country.
President Trump has also repeatedly said that strikes on land in Venezuela could come soon.
A recent strategy document from the administration said the United States would reassert its dominance in the Western Hemisphere, invoking the 19th-century Monroe Doctrine, which declared the region to be within Washington’s sphere of influence.
Democratic lawmakers have criticised the administration for providing limited information about the military operations. Rubio rejected suggestions that the actions required congressional approval.
“Nothing has happened that requires us to notify Congress or cross the threshold into war,” he said.
Rubio added that while some strikes against suspected drug vessels had been considered, they were not carried out because they did not meet legal criteria. “We know who’s on those boats. We’ve been tracking them from the very beginning,” he said.
Venezuela’s foreign minister, Yvan Gil, condemned Rubio’s remarks, accusing him of pursuing a policy of regime change.
“All of his attacks and ‘fake news’ are aimed at plundering Venezuela’s oil, land, minerals and resources,” Gil said in a statement posted on Telegram.
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