Originally appeared at ZeroHedge
On Thursday US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged NATO leaders to confront the “emerging threats” posed by the Russian and Chinese militaries across the globe, but especially in Venezuela.
“We must adapt our alliance to confront emerging threats… whether that’s Russian aggression, uncontrolled migration, cyberattacks, threats to energy security, Chinese strategic competition, including technology and 5G, and many other issues,” Pompeo said. Though he more specifically linked Russia with the Venezuela crisis in comments to reporters, China remained a talking point as part of the discussion throughout.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Washington on Wednesday, April 3, 2019. Image source: AP
According to remarks made after the meeting to reporters, Reuters noted, “Pompeo said NATO members had agreed Russian troops needed to withdraw from Venezuela, where they were deployed in support of President Nicolas Maduro, who is under pressure from a coalition of more than 50 countries, including the United States, to step down.”
Also according to the report, Venezuela’s deputy foreign minister, Ivan Gil, shot back on Thursday saying Russian forces will stay in Venezuela “as long as needed and did not rule out the possibility more could be added.”
This echoes prior Russian foreign ministry statements on the recent deployment of some 100 Russian troops led by a general. Russia described its forces in Venezuela as “specialists” who are servicing existing contracts related to defense procurement, and which is perfectly legal according to prior agreements between two sovereign countries.
Further as part of the conference NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg called on Moscow to release the Ukrainian vessels and their crews which had been held since the Nov. 25 Kerch Strait incident.
Stoltenberg’s words suggest things could grow hot again in the Black Sea and Caucuses, as NATO is prepared to given more support to regional allies there. According to Reuters:
He said the NATO allies had agreed on a package of measures to step up support for Ukraine and Georgia that included increased surveillance drills and “training of maritime forces and coast guards, port visits and exercises, and sharing information.” Ukraine and Georgia, which like Ukraine is a Russian neighbor and part of the former Soviet Union, are not NATO members.
As for China, officials in Beijing this week firmly rejected reports that the Chinese military had entered Venezuela on a humanitarian aid mission.
“I don’t know where you got this information or for what purpose was it produced, but I can tell you this: what you said is simply not true,” said Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang on Tuesday.
“The Chinese government’s position on the Venezuela issue is consistent and clear-cut,” Shuang added, noting that China opposes “external interference in Venezuela’s internal affairs, and believe the country’s government and opposition need to seek a political solution through peaceful dialogue.”
Last week the White House had warned all foreign troops and countries “external to the Western Hemisphere” to keep their forces out of Venezuela.
nato is steered by a criminally insane and corrupt junta participant, fatso from washington dc. nato is led by an idiot that is an echo-chamber of sentiments expressed by head headcase donny the dunce and they are a threat to the world and thus stoltenberg should be put on trial together with fatso and donny the dunce and bedbugcraczy bolton and a few other before the international criminal court in den haag.
HEY SF, on my machine the article is cut short on the right side (by the adverts).
As for this Popeo, the fat, retarded POS, should just take his talk, money and violence and STFU.
I have the same issue as al on mobile.platform.
#Metoo on tablet at present
“NATO MUST CONFRONT “EMERGING THREATS” FROM RUSSIA AND CHINA IN VENEZUELA”
Now there’s a piece of Orwellian double speak if I’ve ever seen one. Russia and China are providing humanitarian aid and protecting Venezuela from a Syrian type “civil war” and regime change invasion by the US. While the US is running a starvation and infrastructure attack campaign against Venezuela.
Exactly how far is Venezuela from the “North Atlantic”. Do they fear the Cuban special forces are going to invade the US because they have stolen CITGO.
There was a movie and book called “The Ugly American”. They have grown uglier.
I don’t care what anyone says. It was a safer world for Western People back in the Cold War days when we had Soviet Russia. Now these Yankers ride rough-shod over their allies and if the allies don’t toe the line the Uncle Sammers unleash Jihadi headchoppers…oops …White Helmet Humanitarians on them!