SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
In the week since the U.S. operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, one of Venezuela's closest allies has been relatively quiet. Russia has close ties with the country that date back decades. NPR's Charles Maynes joins us now from Moscow. Charles, thanks so much for being with us.
CHARLES MAYNES, BYLINE: Good morning, Scott.
SIMON: Can you begin by reminding us how it is that Venezuela has become so important to Russia?
MAYNES: Well, you know, this isn't a story of Cold War-era allies like you have with, say, Russia and Cuba. You know, this partnership between Moscow and Caracas developed with the arrival of both Russian President Vladimir Putin to the Kremlin and Maduro's predecessor, Hugo Chavez, to power, both around the turn of the century. The two quickly expanded trade into oil and in arms, but more importantly, they backed each other up geopolitically, particularly when it came to confronting the West and the U.S. in particular.
SIMON: How did the U.S. attack on a Russian ally look from Moscow?
MAYNES: Well, Russia's foreign ministry demanded the release of Nicolás Maduro from U.S. custody, but Russia's hands are really tied here because they can't afford to alienate President Trump amid his efforts to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine. So Moscow pretty quickly pivoted to joining the U.S. in supporting Venezuela's interim leader, Delcy Rodriguez. But the problem for the Kremlin here is how this all looks compared to its own special military operation in Ukraine. You know, the U.S. mission in Venezuela was done in under an hour with Maduro arrested. And here Russia is, four years later, with no end to its war in Ukraine in sight. That said, Sergei Markov, a pro-Kremlin analyst, had this warning for the Trump administration.
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SERGEI MARKOV: Russia have been shocked by how successful Americans made such operation. But some hesitations if the United States will be able to move from the very successful military action to the real successful, long-term political plan.
MAYNES: So in other words, Scott, you know, Russia remembers Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere, where things seem to be going well for the U.S., of course, until they weren't.
SIMON: And of course, President Trump invoked the Monroe Doctrine to justify the intervention in Venezuela. But I have to ask, is that so different from how the Kremlin views their part of the world?
MAYNES: Well, you know, talk of spheres of influence was popular in Moscow long before Trump mentioned the Monroe Doctrine, but, you know, you're right. In Moscow's view, U.S. actions in Venezuela legitimize Russia's right to secure its own backyard. You know, the idea here being, OK, the U.S. can control the Americas, but that gives Russia free rein over Ukraine and the former USSR.
SIMON: This week, we also saw the United States seize a Russian-flagged oil tanker. There's still complications ahead, possibly, aren't there?
MAYNES: Well, in fact, the U.S. has now seized two of them, claiming they were in violation of U.S. sanctions on Venezuelan oil exports. But this clearly has implications for the shadow fleets that helped Russia get around Western sanctions as well. Moscow denounced the U.S. for violating the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, but much like with the U.S. capture of Maduro, Russia stopped short of any further action.
SIMON: And, Charles, has President Putin said anything specifically about Venezuela?
MAYNES: No, not about Venezuela specifically, but you could argue he's weighed in another way. On Friday, Russia attacked western Ukraine near the Polish border, a NATO member, of course, using a new nuclear-capable ballistic missile called the Oreshnik. It's a supersonic weapon that Moscow claims is invincible to existing Western air defenses. Now, it appears this Oreshnik was carrying a dummy load, so it's more about the message than damage, really a way of reminding the West, both Europe and the U.S., that despite the setbacks of the past few days, Russia still has plenty of capabilities.
SIMON: NPR's Charles Maynes from Moscow. Thanks so much, Charles.
MAYNES: Thanks, Scott.
(SOUNDBITE OF TUMI EBOW ANSA SONG, "OWORA") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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