President Nicolás Maduro on Monday said Venezuela and Russia maintain ongoing military cooperation, despite the growing tension between Caracas and Washington over the deployment of U.S. warships in waters off the South American nation.

“We are in constant daily communication with the Russian government on all issues, as I am working on many issues,” Maduro said on his weekly radio and television program, noting that last week a meeting between Russian and Venezuelan business leaders led some to insistently talk about military cooperation, even though the meeting focused on trade.

The governments of Venezuela and Russia have signed numerous cooperation agreements on trade, energy, education, military affairs, drug enforcement, and security, including an intelligence and counterintelligence pact.

Like his predecessor, the late President Hugo Chávez, Maduro has forged a close relationship with Russia.

“A tremendous number of cadets and officers have been trained in Russia, and a huge number of Russian officers have always come to Venezuela where they enjoy calm, peaceful, and very fruitful cooperation,” he said.

"Now, because the threats against Venezuela are making headlines, perhaps these things were said at other times and they weren't news, but now they are news. So rest assured, Venezuela is continuing on its path, and what we want for Venezuela is to achieve peace,” Maduro added.