Venezuela’s Maduro to meet Putin in Moscow

Bloomberg

Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet his embattled Venezuelan counterpart Nicolas Maduro in Moscow on Wednesday, but the two aren’t planning to sign any documents, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
“Various aspects of bilateral cooperation will be discussed,” Peskov said. The leaders will hold one-on-one talks, as well as a working lunch including other officials. “Of course, opinions will be exchanged on regional issues, first of all Ibero-American issues and the direct intervention of third countries in them.”
Russia has been a strong ally for Maduro as the US has stepped up pressure on the Venezuelan leader, but Moscow has in recent years been reluctant to grant new economic support for the struggling government, which is still repaying billions in past loans, in part with oil supplies. Maduro last visited Russia in December 2018, just days before two Russian strategic bombers made a trip to Venezuela, drawing protest from the US.
Russia has also been a major weapons supplier. In June, the Kremlin denied a tweet by US president saying that Putin had told him that Moscow was withdrawing most of its military advisers from Venezuela.