Maduro Claims Western Imperialism Is in a "Phase of Madness"

The Venezuelan leader has condemned a reported decision by the U.S. to enable long-range strikes deep into Russia.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has criticized what he claims is a decision by U.S. President Joe Biden to allow the use of long-range weapons for Ukrainian operations deep within Russian territory.

This alleged shift in policy was reported by several Western media outlets on Sunday, with some suggesting that the United Kingdom and France would align with this approach. However, the French Foreign Ministry later clarified that it was still evaluating its position.

Maduro addressed the situation during his closing remarks at the National Congress of the Bolivarian Historic Bloc in Caracas.

“The governments of the USA, France and Great Britain – the Holy Alliance of Evil – have just approved for Nazi criminal [Vladimir] Zelensky to use long-range missiles to attack our sister Russia,” Maduro stated.

“We are at a defining moment. North American imperialism has entered a phase of madness and revenge,” he added.

On Sunday, the New York Times reported that outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden had granted Ukraine permission to use long-range American missiles against Russia’s internationally recognized territory.

Quoting unnamed American officials, the report indicated that Ukraine is expected to deploy Army Tactical Missile Systems against Russian forces and alleged North Korean troops in Russia’s Kursk Region, where intense fighting is reportedly taking place. The supposed presence of North Korean forces has been cited as a rationale for the policy change, though there is no confirmed evidence of such troops operating in Russia.

Later that day, French daily Le Figaro claimed that France and the UK had followed the U.S. lead, allowing strikes using their weapons deep inside Russia. However, the outlet later retracted its assertion regarding the authorization of SCALP/Storm Shadow missiles for these operations.

When asked about France's position on Monday, Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot informed reporters that Paris was still deliberating whether to allow Ukraine to target Russian territory with French-supplied missiles. He recalled that President Emmanuel Macron had publicly mentioned in May that France was considering such measures.

Ukraine has been utilizing ATACMS and French-British SCALP-EG/Storm Shadow missiles to strike targets in Crimea and other areas that joined Russia following the 2014 conflict. However, Zelensky has been advocating for permission to employ long-range missiles to hit targets within Russia’s officially recognized boundaries.

Neither the White House nor the Pentagon has provided comments regarding the situation.

In response, the Kremlin stated on Monday that if the media reports are validated, it would signify a significant escalation in the Ukraine conflict, indicating that “NATO nations are at war with Russia.”

President Vladimir Putin warned in September that an increase in attacks deep within Russia using Western weaponry would “significantly change the nature of the conflict.” He asserted that such strikes would be unfeasible without foreign personnel's involvement, implying that “NATO countries are directly engaged in the military conflict” with Russia.

Debra A Smith contributed to this report for TROIB News