Moscow – Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed “solidarity with the Venezuelan people" on Thursday amid growing tensions between Venezuela's leader, Nicolás Maduro, and the Trump administration.

The Kremlin said in a statement that Putin spoke with Maduro by phone and reaffirmed his support for Venezuelan leader's policy of “protecting national interests and sovereignty in the face of growing external pressure.”

The call comes a day after American forces seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, the latest tactic from U.S. President Donald Trump's administration to ramp up pressure on Maduro, who has been charged with narcoterrorism in the United States.

During testimony before Congress on Thursday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem linked the seizure of the vessel t

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