Russia's War on Ukraine Has Hurt Oil Prices, and Now the U.S. Is Talking to Venezuela
Russia's War on Ukraine Has Hurt Oil Prices, and Now the U.S. Is Talking to Venezuela
"[The Western Hemisphere] is a region that Russia believes that if it can sow some instability and volatility that will negatively impact U.S. interests," said AS/COA's Eric Farnsworth to NPR.
Days after a secret weekend visit to Caracas by top Biden administration officials, two Americans long detained there were released — a surprising development with a country whose leader, Nicolas Maduro, is not even currently recognized as its president by the United States.
While not many details are known about the talks, the White House has said that energy security was also part of conversations…
Eric Farnsworth, a former State Department official now at the Council of Americas, says Russia's focus is less about the region and more about causing problems for the United States.
"At the end of the day, I would maintain that Russia doesn't really care that much about the Western Hemisphere at all," he said. "Rather, it's a region that Russia believes that if it can sow some instability and volatility that will negatively impact U.S. interests."…
