No new defense contracts with Venezuela, Bolton's words are 'fiction' – Russia's envoy

Moscow did not sign any new contracts with Caracas recently, Russia's Ambassador to Venezuela, Vladimir Zaemsky said, dismissing the Sunday claim by the US National Security Advisor John Bolton. Bolton claimed on Twitter that Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro "grossly mismanaged Venezuela's resources" and that he inked a new $209-million defense contract with Russia in May, while "hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans went hungry."

"This is another fiction, which Bolton apparently needs to maintain the illusion that Venezuela is an imaginary threat, and Russia, of course, is to blame," Zaemsky said.

The US has repeatedly urged Moscow to "get out" of Venezuela and stop military cooperation with the country. Russia, however, rejected such threats, stating that the cooperation with Caracas has been going on for years, and is only set to expand.