Russia strongly condemns US for excessive use of military force in Caribbean

Russia on Saturday issued a sharp rebuke to the United States, accusing Washington of “excessive use of military force” in its counter-narcotics operations across the Caribbean — a campaign that Moscow says has violated international norms and further destabilised the region.

In a strongly worded statement posted on the Russian foreign ministry’s website, spokesperson Maria Zakharova condemned what she described as “aggressive and unlawful actions” under the guise of anti-drug efforts.

“We firmly denounce the use of excessive military force in carrying out anti-drug operations,” Zakharova said, calling the U.S. campaign “a blatant violation of both American domestic law and international legal principles.”

The spokesperson warned that Washington’s actions have alarmed several international actors, noting that UN Secretary-General António Guterres and UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk had expressed concern over the humanitarian and legal consequences of such operations, according to reports by Xinhua News Agency.

Russia, she added, “reaffirms its unwavering support for Venezuela’s leadership in defending its sovereignty,” a pointed reference to U.S. tensions with the government of President Nicolás Maduro.

“We advocate preserving Latin America and the Caribbean as a zone of peace,” Zakharova said, urging all sides to pursue “constructive and lawful solutions” to the crisis.

Her comments come amid escalating friction in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, where a US-led campaign targeting illegal narcotics trafficking has reportedly struck at least 14 vessels, resulting in the deaths of 61 people. The United States has also reinforced its military footprint in the region in recent months — deploying fighter jets, warships, and thousands of troops, a move Moscow views as a show of force rather than a peacekeeping measure.

The diplomatic rift underscores a growing geopolitical contest for influence in Latin America. Earlier in May 2025, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro signed a strategic partnership agreement in Moscow, pledging deeper cooperation in energy, defense, and security — a pact that analysts see as a counterweight to US dominance in the Western Hemisphere.

As tensions simmer, Russia’s call for restraint and “respect for international law” signals its intent to position itself as both a defender of regional sovereignty and a critic of US militarism, even as the Caribbean grows increasingly entangled in global power rivalries.

With IANS inputs