Venezuela’s Maduro to Meet Putin in Moscow, But No Deals Planned

(Bloomberg) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet his embattled Venezuelan counterpart Nicolas Maduro in Moscow Wednesday, but the two aren’t planning to sign any documents, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

“Various aspects of bilateral cooperation will be discussed,” Peskov said on a conference call. The leaders will hold one-on-one talks, as well as a working lunch including other officials. “Of course, opinions will be exchanged on regional issues, first of all Ibero-American issues and the direct intervention of third countries in them.”

The visit marks Maduro’s first major international trip this year after facing an intense battle for power at home, where opposition leader Juan Guaido has challenged his position as the legitimate head of the nation. The opposition’s efforts to take over Miraflores Palace have stalled after a botched uprising in April.

Russia has been a strong ally for Maduro as the U.S. has stepped up pressure on the Venezuelan leader, but Moscow has in recent years been reluctant to grant new economic support for the struggling government, which is still repaying billions in past loans, in part with oil supplies. Maduro last visited Russia in December 2018, just days before two Russian strategic bombers made a trip to Venezuela, drawing protest from the U.S.

Russia has also been a major weapons supplier. In June, the Kremlin denied a tweet by U.S. President Donald Trump saying that Putin had told him that Moscow was withdrawing most of its military advisers from Venezuela.

--With assistance from Patricia Laya.

To contact the reporter on this story: Stepan Kravchenko in Moscow at skravchenko@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Gregory L. White at gwhite64@bloomberg.net, Torrey Clark

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