Russia trolls its stooge Trump over US blockade, Venezuelan ‘piracy’

MOSCOW (Reuters) — Russia’s foreign ministry said today that the United States was reviving piracy and banditry in the Caribbean Sea by blockading Venezuela and said it hoped that U.S. President Donald Trump’s pragmatism would help avoid a disaster.

“Today we are witnessing complete lawlessness in the Caribbean Sea, where long-forgotten theft of other people’s property, namely piracy, and banditry, are being revived,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said of the situation.

“We consistently advocate for a de-escalation,” Zakharova said. “We hope that the pragmatism and rationality of US President Trump will allow solutions to be found that are mutually acceptable to the parties within the framework of international legal norms.”

“We confirm our support for the efforts of the government of Nicolas Maduro aimed at protecting sovereignty and national interests, and maintaining the stable and secure development of his country,” she said.

By REUTERS

Reporting by Dmitry Antonov; Writing by Gleb Stolyarov; Editing by Guy Faulconbridge

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles

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John F. McCarthy is a veteran journalist in the Caribbean, writing from the "Decision Space" where survival meets the surreal. His reporting steel was tempered by a lineage of legendary editors and broadcasters, including Ed Wynn Brant (The Bomb), Owen Eschenroder (Ann Arbor News), Lynelle Emanuel (BVI Beacon), and Charles Thanas (WSVI-TV). Alongside longtime colleague Kenneth C. "Casey" Clark, McCarthy has navigated the front lines of the territory’s history—from the 1997 volcanic "snow" to every major hurricane since Hugo. Known for leaning out of doorless helicopters to capture the "money shot," McCarthy now edits the V.I. Free Press, providing the essential link between the island's colonial past and its SpaceX future.