America warned Russia, China for deployment of any military equipment in Venezuela

US National Security Advisor John Bolton has warned Russia, China and other allies of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro against any deployment of troops and military equipment in the Latin American country, saying Washington will defend its interests against such “provocative” actions.

“We strongly caution actors external to the Western Hemisphere against deploying military assets to Venezuela, or elsewhere in the Hemisphere, with the intent of establishing or expanding military operations,” Bolton said Friday.

“We will consider such provocative actions as a direct threat to international peace and security in the region. We will continue to defend and protect the interests of the United States, and those of our partners in the Western Hemisphere,” he added.

Earlier this week, US President Donald Trump said “Russia has to get out” of Venezuela and warned that “all options” were on the table to force Russia out of the region after two Russian air force planes carrying nearly 100 military personnel landed outside the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

Meanwhile, a Chinese plane loaded with 65 tons of medical aid landed in Caracas on Friday, a move that was expected to infuriate the administration in Washington, which has spared no efforts in forcing Maduro to step down by triggering an economic crisis through the imposition of tough sanctions on the oil-rich Latin American country.

Russia has dismissed the US allegations, defending its move in dispatching military “specialists” to Venezuela as part of a military-technical cooperation agreement signed by the two countries in 2001.

Brushing aside Trump’s threat, Moscow has defended the deployment arguing that it posed no threat to regional stability.