US operation in Venezuela does not give Russia or China green light for similar military operations - expert

RIGA - The US operation in Venezuela does not automatically give the green light to Russia or China to carry out similar military operations in other countries, Karlis Bukovskis, director of the Latvian Institute of International Affairs, told LETA.

He said that Russia and China can use pretexts for their actions in any case, and past experience shows that Russia did not seek permission from or coordination with other countries when starting the war in Ukraine. Bukovskis stressed that a US operation in itself does not automatically imply permission for other major powers to do the same, and there is a question about the real capacity of Russia and China in particular to carry out military operations of this kind.

Commenting on the US administration's statements on Colombia, Cuba and Greenland, Bukovskis said that the focus of US foreign policy is a return to the principles of the Monroe Doctrine, which envision the presence of US interests in the Western Hemisphere, both in North America and Latin America. In today's context, he noted, this means the US seeking to limit Russian and Chinese influence in the region, while at the same time controlling political and economic processes.

As regards Greenland, Bukovskis said that it is geographically located in North America, but that only Denmark and the Greenlandic people can decide Greenland's future. At the same time, he noted that Greenland faces serious security risks given Russia's and China's interests in the Arctic region, and that the US, Europe and Denmark should therefore seek common solutions, taking into account military, geopolitical and resource security aspects.

Assessing the position of the European Union (EU) in the context of the US operation, Bukovskis said that the EU position on the Nicolas Maduro regime was similar to that of the US and had been discussed with allies in the past. The expert added that the operation itself was completely secret, without even members of the US Congress being informed in advance, as such an operation would be impossible to discuss in public.

As for the future of US relations with Colombia, Cuba and other countries in the region, Bukovskis said that the US objective is to bring countries that have long been in opposition to Washington at least partially closer to the US vision of the international order. He stressed that in several Latin American countries there have long been strong links between the administration and organized crime, including drug trafficking, which poses direct security risks to the US, including in the form of migration, drugs and other threats.

Bukovskis noted that the US operation in Venezuela also serves as a signal to other countries in the region of Washington's ability to act decisively in defense of its security and national interests.

As reported, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were captured in a US military operation on Saturday. They have been taken to New York, where they face trial on charges of supplying narcotics to the US.

The Venezuelan Supreme Court has confirmed Vice President Delcy Rodriguez as interim president.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that Washington is ready to work with Rodriguez and other Venezuelan leaders and has stressed that the US will judge them by their actions and not by their public statements.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump's repeated statements that Greenland should become part of the US drew international condemnation on Monday.

Trump has repeatedly said that he wants to annex Greenland, which belongs to Denmark, because of its strategic location.

On Sunday, Trump said again on board the presidential plane Air Force One en route from Florida to Washington that Greenland is necessary for the US from a national security perspective.