Russian diplomats assess the situation in Venezuela as "very grim," sources in European intelligence told the AP agency. The Russian Foreign Ministry denies the evacuation, DW reports.
Russia has begun evacuating the families of its diplomats from the capital of Venezuela, Caracas. This was reported on Tuesday, December 23, by the AP agency, citing sources in European intelligence. The evacuation started on December 19. According to an AP source, Russian Foreign Ministry officials assess the situation in Venezuela as "very grim."
For its part, the Russian Foreign Ministry stated that the information about the evacuation of diplomats' families "is not true." To support its claims, it published photographs from a children's New Year celebration for Russians living in Venezuela.
The day before, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Ivan Gil reported that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov expressed support for his country in connection with the American blockade of oil tankers and Washington's pressure on official Caracas.
Trump announces blockade of Venezuela and demands Maduro's resignation
Over the weekend, U.S. President Donald Trump stated that he would continue to pressure Maduro's government "until drug trafficking from Venezuela to the U.S. is halted."
In December 2025, the U.S. seized two oil tankers from Venezuela in international waters. U.S. authorities referred to the vessels as "part of Venezuela's 'shadow fleet,' used for smuggling stolen oil and financing Maduro's narcoterrorist regime." On December 16, Donald Trump announced that he had ordered a "complete and total" blockade of all oil tankers heading to and from Venezuela.
The Trump administration refuses to recognize Nicolás Maduro as the legitimate president and accuses the Venezuelan authorities of insufficient efforts against drug trafficking and ties to drug cartels. The United States has significantly increased its presence in the Caribbean, deploying the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier and at least eight other military ships, as well as F-35 fighter jets. American military forces are striking vessels that Washington claims are involved in drug trafficking.
In the fall, CNN reported that Trump is considering a ground operation in Venezuela, but has not yet made a final decision.
In early November 2025, the American president stated that Maduro's days in power are numbered. The Trump administration links the Venezuelan president and a network of high-ranking officials in the country to the Cártel de los Soles (translated as "Cartel of the Suns").
In 2020, during Donald Trump's first presidential term, the U.S. accused the Venezuelan leader of "narcoterrorism" and offered a reward of $15 million for his capture. In January 2025, this amount was increased to $25 million, and in August to $50 million.
