Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolás Maduro on Wednesday signed a strategic partnership treaty in Moscow, the latest in a series of alliances Russia has forged since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The deal marks Russia’s fourth such agreement in two years, following similar pacts with China, North Korea and Iran.
“Thanks to this treaty, we’ll see how relations flourish between a great Russia, a key power among humanity today, and Venezuela in the coming years,” Maduro said during talks at the Kremlin.
Putin called the deal a “good base” for future cooperation, though neither leader disclosed specific terms. He said the two countries were working on joint initiatives in energy, transport and pharmaceuticals.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov earlier described the treaty as a “weighty, substantial and very important framework document.”
Maduro is among more than two dozens world leaders expected to attend Friday’s military parade on Red Square, marking the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany. Putin invited him in March, saying the treaty had already been finalized and would be signed during the visit.
Venezuela strengthened ties with Russia under late socialist leader Hugo Chávez, who ruled from 1999 until his death in 2013. His successor, Maduro, has continued that alliance and publicly backed Russia’s war against Ukraine.
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