Russian Solidarity with Iran and Venezuela

by Stephen Lendman

The world community should be in solidarity with these and other sovereign independent countries, opposing US hostile actions against them.

Russia supports world peace, the rule of law, cooperative relations with other countries, and opposition to interference in the internal affairs by any nation against others.

US objectives are polar opposite. Its rage to dominate risks catastrophic war on Iran and/or Venezuela if it dares go this far.

Russia's Foreign Ministry affirmed that Moscow "stands in full solidarity with (Iran's) people (and) government."

Following Britain's unlawful seizure of Iran's Grace 1 supertanker in international waters, the ministry said the following:

"We condemn the seizure of the super tanker sailing under the Panama flag on July 4, conducted by the Gibraltar authorities aided by Great Britain's Royal Marine Commando unit."

"We view the seizure of the vessel and its cargo as a deliberate action aimed at aggravating the situation around Iran and Syria." 

"Laudatory comments by top US and British officials immediately after the operation confirm this conclusion and prove that the action had been long in the making with the involvement of respective services and agencies of several countries."

"(W)e are convinced that this step contradicts the stated intent of the EU's leading nations, including the UK, to work to preserve the nuclear agreements with Iran."

Britain's action showed it's in cahoots with the Trump regime to undermine the JCPOA. Why else would it have undertaken a high seas bandit act against a sovereign state!

The UK and US are also allied in waging aggression on Syria. Their actions against both countries flagrantly violate international law — showing they're rogue states contemptuous of fundamental rule of law principles.

They and their imperial partners are responsible for transforming the Middle East into an endless cauldron of violence and chaos. Russia sharply criticized their ruling regimes and allies for their "irresponsible polic(ies)."

Russia also stands in solidarity with Bolivarian Venezuela, aiding its defense against the Trump regime's aim to topple its legitimate government. 

Days earlier, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said Moscow "will certainly take measures under the existing agreements, which will help strengthen the potential of that country's Armed Forces" to counter Trump regime destabilization tactics.

Russia will focus on supplying Venezuela with military and other equipment, Ryabkov explained, its military personnel in the country to help install and train Venezuelan troops in their use.

Venezuela's Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza earlier explained that "(w)e need to provide for equipment maintenance and exchange military and technical information," adding: 

"This work has been going on since 2001 when we signed an agreement on military cooperation (with Russia)." 

"Currently, a commission of specialists is present on the territory of Venezuela and, no doubt, it may be expanded."

"We will be ready for any scenario, but we put the emphasis on diplomacy first thing."

"We are for peace and we wish to talk to everybody about peace, but if the United States prefers a military path, we have our armed forces, our people's militia, and the people, and we will be prepared not only to resist and fight back, but to overpower and destroy any army, however strong it might be."

Russia is involved in protecting and preserving Venezuela's sovereign independence. Arreaza stressed that his country is undergoing a "historic struggle for control over our country's wealth, control over incomes from the oil industry, for potential incomes from natural resources and energy resources" — what the US aims to steal, wanting Venezuela colonized and controlled.

Russia is working cooperatively with Iran in a similar way, aiding both countries counter US efforts to topple their legitimate governments.

Separately, Moscow slammed a proposed US FY 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) amendment to illegally sanction its sovereign debt, an effort to prevent foreign purchases if the measure is enacted.

Undemocratic Dem Russophobes Brad Sherman and Maxine Waters proposed the House amendment, Sherman saying it "provides real, serious sanctions on the Russian state by saying that no US person can make additional purchases of Russian sovereign debt."

Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said "(w)e are certainly closely following" this amendment — adopted by House members, the Senate yet to address it, though its members are likely to approve it overwhelmingly.

Whatever Trump may find objectionable in the NDAA, Trump will surely sign it into law. It funds US militarism and aggression, what all US presidents support.

If the NDAA is enacted with the anti-Russian provision, Moscow will surely retaliate appropriately.

According to Moody's Kristin Linddow, Russia's bond market will be able to handle the measure if enacted into law.

Last October, she said Russia's government doesn't spend everything that it has coming in as (it gets) more revenue and it's able to build reserves with that," adding:

"With borrowing requirements so low, it can be resilient to the impact of more severe sanctions than we are anticipating."

Hostility toward Moscow is bipartisan in Washington. There's virtually no chance of a change of policy because of Russia's sovereign independence and opposition to the US imperial agenda.

Kremlin officials believing otherwise are foolhardy. No matter how often they're betrayed by hostile US actions, they persist in believing rarely ever improved relations are coming — never while Putin was president.

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My newest book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."

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