Kremlin says Russia will seek clarification from US on Venezuela oil restrictions

Moscow: ⁠Russia plans to seek clarification from the United States about new ⁠US restrictions on Venezuela's oil business, the Kremlin said on Wednesday.

The ​US Treasury Department on Tuesday issued a general license to facilitate the exploration and production of oil and gas in Venezuela. The license did not authorise transactions involving Russian and Chinese ​nationals or entities.

Kremlin spokesman ⁠Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Russia would clarify the situation with Washington through available channels of communication.

"We do indeed have investments in Venezuela, we have long-term projects, and ⁠there is ‌interest both from our Venezuelan partners and from us. Therefore, all of this is a reason to ‌discuss the situation with the Americans," Peskov said.

US President Donald Trump has ⁠openly spoken of controlling Venezuela's vast oil reserves, the world's largest, in conjunction with US ‌oil companies, after toppling.

Russia's Roszarubezhneft energy firm, which operates ‌in the South American country, said last month that ‌all the company's assets in Venezuela were the property of Russia and it would stick to its commitments to international partners there.

Roszarubezhneft, owned ⁠by a ⁠unit of the Russian Ministry of Economic Development, was incorporated in 2020 and soon afterwards acquired the Venezuelan holdings of Russian state-run oil company Rosneft after Washington imposed sanctions at the time on two Rosneft units for trading Venezuelan oil.

Russia has long maintained close ties with Venezuela, spanning energy ​cooperation, military links and high-level political contacts, and Moscow ​has backed Caracas diplomatically for ​years.

Rosneft had stakes in upstream ventures in Venezuela, such as Petromonagas (40%), Petroperija (40%), Boqueron (26.67%), ​Petromiranda (32%) and Petrovictoria (40%).