Oleg Davygora 23:16, 28.05.26 UNIAN

Russia has supported the regime of Nicolas Maduro and supplied significant amounts of weapons to Caracas for decades

Russia is concerned that Venezuela could allow Kyiv to use its vast and largely unused stockpiles of Soviet-made weapons as it shifts its foreign policy priorities, Euractiv reports .

Sergei Shoigu, Secretary of the Russian Security Council and former Minister of Defense, during a meeting with his Venezuelan counterpart, José Adelino Ornelas Ferreira, warned against any attempts to involve Latin American states in agreements that could ultimately support Ukraine.

“We are aware of the activities of Western envoys who are trying to involve Latin American states in various arms supply schemes in the interests of Kyiv,” he said.

Shoigu emphasized that Venezuela continues to operate significant amounts of Soviet and Russian-made military equipment.

The publication notes that Moscow and Caracas have a long-standing military partnership: Russia has supported the regime of Nicolas Maduro and for decades has supplied Caracas with significant amounts of weapons, equipment, and technical support, which formed the basis of Venezuela’s arsenal.

Following the overthrow of Nicolas Maduro by the United States and the rise to power of Delcy Rodriguez, Venezuela’s foreign policy has shifted markedly from open anti-Western confrontation to a more pragmatic approach focused on restoring ties with Washington.

According to military expert Oleksandr Kovalenko, the scenario of potential arms supplies from Venezuela to Ukraine is “very real”:

“Venezuelan field equipment, including T-72B1V tanks, BMP-3 armored vehicles, Mi-17 helicopters, and 152mm artillery systems, remains relevant on the Ukrainian battlefield due to general Soviet-era standards and ongoing ammunition shortages.”

Caracas also has Russian-made S-300 and Buk-M2 anti-aircraft missile systems, but their effectiveness proved futile during the January U.S. military operation in Caracas.

However, Peter Wezeman of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) warned that such a move would require continued US pressure on Caracas, which is difficult to predict given Washington’s increasingly shaky position on military support for Ukraine.

“If Venezuela reorients its purchases to Western suppliers, old Russian systems could be resold or transferred to Ukraine directly or through intermediaries,” Kovalenko concluded.

US plans for Venezuela

Previously, journalist John Roberts stated that Trump is seriously considering making Venezuela the 51st state .

Reporter Bill Melugin added that Trump also said during his conversation with Roberts that Venezuela has $40 trillion worth of oil. He also said that the US president told the journalist that “Venezuela loves Trump.”