Brazil’s Lula calls Putin to discuss Venezuela

Moscow: Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Wednesday called his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to discuss the situation in Venezuela, according to the Kremlin.

It was Putin’s first international phone call of this year as Russia emerged from the long spell of Christmas and New Year holidays.

Putin and Lula discussed international issues, focusing on the situation surrounding Venezuela. The parties reaffirmed their shared approaches to ensuring the republic's sovereignty and national interests.

The two leaders also discussed bilateral cooperation in various areas and agreed to continue coordinating efforts, including within the UN and BRICS, to de-escalate tensions in Latin America and other regions, the Kremlin readout said.

President Putin had refrained from making any comments on the abduction of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife by the US military under orders from President Donald Trump and all the reaction was promptly expressed by the Foreign Ministry, which had strongly condemned Washington’s armed aggression.