Panic in Russia as Trump’s Venezuela raid sparks fears Russians ‘will starve to death’ | World | News
Donald Trump’s attack on Venezuela sparked anger and fear in Russia, prompting angry public criticism of Vladimir Putin. US special forces captured former President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores in a daring raid early Saturday morning.
The Venezuelan dictator is currently on his way to the United States, where he is indicted on drug and weapons charges. U.S. Attorney Pam Bondi warned Maduro that he would “face the full wrath of American justice.” The Kremlin strongly criticized Maduro’s ouster, calling it “a deeply troubling and reprehensible act of armed aggression.”
Many in Russia now fear that oil prices will plummet and destroy an economy still dependent on energy exports.
Russian billionaire and oligarch Oleg Deripaska has warned that US control over Venezuelan oil fields will have serious consequences on the state’s economy.
“If our American ‘partners’ reach Venezuela’s oil fields (and they have already reached Guyana), they will control more than half of the world’s oil reserves,” he wrote on his Telegram channel.
“And their plan, it seems, is to ensure that the price of our oil does not rise above $50 per barrel. This means that our sanctified state capitalism will find it difficult to leave things as they are.”
Others have been more blunt in pointing out the potentially devastating scenario currently facing the Russian economy.
A pro-Kremlin military blogger described the situation as a “nightmare” and called Russia’s political leadership traitors.
“This is not funny. Soon it will not even be profitable for us to extract oil. We will starve to death in a few months. This is checkmate for the entire economy.”
“They will drop the price of oil below its base price and take over the entire market. Now, above all else, they will own the oil.”
“This is a complete disaster. We will be left without internet, we will drown in taxes, we will be stuck with our damn oil.
“(…) Americans have extended their existence for another few centuries, while ours will end in a month.”
