Is Russia’s War in Ukraine Aiding the Survival of the Venezuelan Regime?

Abstract

Whether Russia’s military and diplomatic commitments to Venezuela will change because of the Russia-Ukraine war poses a series of pressing questions for the sanctioned and isolated regime in Caracas. Carlos Solar argues that years of propaganda have allowed Caracas to control and execute a disinformation campaign that does not cast Moscow as the aggressor in the 2014 Crimea annexation or the current invasion of Ukraine. Given Russia’s and Venezuela’s previous records of global norms defiance, the war in Ukraine solidifies Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s anti-Western discourse, moving Caracas closer to other autocratic regimes and ultimately aiding their efforts in establishing a trilateral world order together with the US and China, in which the Kremlin has a leading role. ◼