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Russian President Vladimir Putin has affirmed Moscow’s solidarity with Venezuela, a day after the United States seized a sanctioned oil tanker off the Latin American country’s coast.

Putin’s exchange with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro came during a call on Thursday, according to the Kremlin.

“Vladimir Putin expressed solidarity with the Venezuelan people”, the Kremlin said in a readout.

The Russian leader “confirmed his support for the Maduro government’s policy aimed at protecting national interests and sovereignty in the face of growing external pressure”, it added.

Venezuela’s government said the pair “reaffirmed the strategic, solid, and growing nature of their bilateral relations”.

It added that Putin “reiterated that the channels of direct communication between the two nations remain permanently open and assured that Russia will continue to support Venezuela in its struggle to uphold its sovereignty, international law, and peace throughout Latin America”.

The warm words come as the administration of US President Donald Trump continues to up pressure on Venezuela. On Tuesday, US Navy Seals boarded and seized a US-sanctioned tanker in the Caribbean, where US military assets have surged.

Caracas has called the seizure an act of “international piracy”.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said she would not rule out future actions against sanctioned tankers.

“We’re not going to stand by and watch sanctioned vessels sail the seas with black market oil, the proceeds of which will fuel narcoterrorism of rogue and illegitimate regimes around the world,” she said.

Washington has not officially identified the tanker, but British maritime risk firm Vanguard said the vessel appeared to be the crude carrier Skipper. The tanker was sanctioned in 2022 for allegedly helping to transport oil for the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran, and Iran’s Quds Force.

The US has for weeks been conducting strikes on alleged drug smuggling boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, with Trump repeatedly threatening to take military action on Venezuelan territory.

The Trump administration has said any actions would be aimed at Venezuela’s illicit drug trade, despite experts dismissing claims that the country is a leading source of drugs smuggled into the US.

Maduro has said the pressure campaign is aimed at toppling his government.

The situation has brought renewed attention to Venezuela’s allies, which have dwindled in recent years. Currently, only Nicaragua and Cuba remain closely aligned with Venezuela in the region.

Caracas maintains close ties with Russia and China, and ties with Iran have strengthened in recent years amid shared opposition to US policy.

Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has announced that he is “returning power to the people”, moving to dissolve parliament and opening the door to elections earlier than previously planned.

Anutin has submitted a request for the dissolution of parliament to the king, local media reported on Thursday.

If the monarch approves the dissolution, elections must be held within 45-60 days, according to the Thai constitution.

Government spokesman Siripong Angkasakulkiat told the news agency Reuters that the move followed a dispute with the opposition People’s Party, the largest bloc in the legislature.

“This happened because we can’t go forward in parliament,” Siripong said, describing a legislative impasse that has paralysed the government’s agenda.

The political rupture comes as Thailand faces a fourth consecutive day of heavy fighting with Cambodia along their shared border. At least 20 people have been killed and nearly 200 wounded in clashes across more than a dozen locations, some involving artillery exchanges.

Anutin insisted the dissolution would not disrupt security operations. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, he said military deployments along the border would continue uninterrupted.

He later repeated his stance on social media: “I am returning power to the people.”

Sluggish economy

Anutin, Thailand’s third prime minister since August 2023, has struggled to stabilise an economy hampered by high household debt, sluggish consumption and pressure from United States tariffs. Political uncertainty has added to the strain on Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy.

Anutin had initially said he planned to dissolve parliament by the end of January, with elections scheduled for March or early April.

His rise to power followed his Bhumjaithai Party’s withdrawal from the ruling coalition and a new agreement with the People’s Party, which demanded several concessions, including a referendum on constitutional reform, in exchange for supporting him.

Siripong said the coalition fractured when those demands were not met. “When the People’s Party couldn’t get what they want, they said they will submit a no-confidence motion and asked the PM to dissolve parliament immediately,” he told Reuters.