During a two-hour meeting in Rome on Tuesday, officials from the US and Russia were unable to come to an agreement regarding the legitimacy of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. However, both sides stated that they had come to better understand the other’s position on the issue.
Russia is concerned about mounting US sanctions on the South American country and wants to prevent the US from taking military action to oust Maduro. US President Donald Trump has been considering such an operation since at least 2017 and recently recognized Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido as the interim president of Venezuela.
Venezuela’s economy has been contracting at staggering rates since 2013 while inflation has skyrocketed. Despite this, Maduro was re-elected last year in an election that the US and many other countries have not recognized as legitimate. However, the Maduro regime still enjoys the support of various governments including those of Russia and China.
Read more: U.S.-Russia talks on Venezuela stall over role of Maduro
