Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko (right) expressed their support for Nicolás Maduro this week amid tensions between the United States and Venezuela. Photo: Russian Presidential Office.
Guacamaya, December 11, 2025. Russia and Belarus are doubling down on their support for the Venezuelan leader amid increasing signs that he might seek refuge abroad, as Washington deploys forces to the Caribbean and Donald Trump warns that Nicolás Maduro’s “days are numbered.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin called Maduro to reiterate his “support” in the face of “mounting external pressure,” according to the Kremlin. The call coincided with unusual diplomatic activity in Minsk: Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, for the second time in 17 days, received Venezuela’s ambassador to Moscow, Jesús Rafael Salazar Velázquez, which Reuters reported has raised suspicions of possible negotiations.
According to the state agency Belta, Lukashenko reminded the diplomat that during their first meeting they agreed to “coordinate certain matters” directly with Maduro. The Belarusian leader, who maintains close relations with Caracas, had already stated that the Venezuelan would be “welcome” in Belarus and that it was “time” for him to pay a visit.
These meetings come after sources consulted by Reuters revealed that Maduro told Donald Trump in a phone call on November 21 that he would be willing to leave Venezuela if he and his family received full guarantees of legal amnesty.
The US government—which does not recognize Maduro as the legitimate president—has increased its pressure in recent months, including large-scale military deployments in the Caribbean. In a recent interview with Politico, Trump stated that the Venezuelan leader’s “days are numbered,” although he avoided specifying whether he would be willing to order a direct intervention.
Meanwhile, Moscow has called on Washington to avoid an “escalation toward a large-scale conflict” in the region, warning of “unpredictable” consequences for the entire hemisphere.
During the call, the city of Caracas was established as the location for the next CIAN (Intergovernmental Commission for Advanced Cooperation) meeting, within the framework of the Strategic Partnership and Cooperation Treaty that entered into force in November 2025.
Lukashenko, a loyal Kremlin ally who in recent months has begun a dialogue with the Trump administration after years of isolation, has also seen a partial easing of US sanctions. Washington recently appointed a special envoy, John Coale, to negotiate the release of political prisoners in Belarus, in an outreach that recalls the geopolitical balancing acts surrounding the Venezuelan case.
Days ago, Nicolás Maduro held a call with Turkish President Erdogan, and several US media outlets also pointed to that country as a possible refuge for the Chavista leader. However, concretely, the call sealed the possible return of Turkish Airlines to Venezuela.
As global powers make their moves, uncertainty is growing over Maduro’s political fate, which could be decided far from Caracas, or he could remain in the country while facing maximum levels of pressure. Russia already played a significant role in 2019 in Maduro’s survival and resilience under the maximum pressure of Trump’s first government.
The Venezuelan government has not commented on this information.
