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Moscow is angry about new US restrictions

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Russia, China and Iran are excluded in new rules

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Moscow is seeking clarification from US

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Russia and Venezuela maintain long-standing ties

(Recasts with Russian foreign minister's comments, adds

background on Chinese oil trade with Venezuela in paragraphs 10,

11)

By Dmitry Antonov and Vladimir ​Soldatkin

MOSCOW, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Foreign Minister Sergei

Lavrov said on Wednesday ‌that new U.S. restrictions on the role

of Russia and other countries in Venezuela's oil business were

blatant discrimination and the Kremlin said ⁠it would clarify the

matter with Washington.

The U.S. Treasury Department on Tuesday issued a general

license to ⁠facilitate the exploration and production of oil and

gas in Venezuela. The license ‌did not authorise transactions

involving ‌Russian, Chinese and Iranian nationals or entities.

Lavrov, speaking to the lower house of parliament, said that

Russia was in touch with ​Washington on the issue and wanted to

conduct mutually respectful ‌work with the United States "without

the idea of domination".

"This is blatant discrimination, despite the fact that

Russia, China and Iran have had investments in Venezuela's oil

and energy ​sector," said Lavrov.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters ​that Russia

would ‌clarify the situation with Washington.

"We do indeed have investments in Venezuela, we have

long-term projects, and there is interest both from our

Venezuelan partners and from us. Therefore, all of this ⁠is a

reason to discuss the situation with the Americans," Peskov

said.

U.S. President Donald Trump has ⁠openly spoken of wanting to

control Venezuela's vast oil reserves, the world's largest, in

conjunction with U.S. oil companies, after toppling Nicolas

Maduro.

Maduro, who was seized by U.S. forces in January, has

pleaded not guilty to U.S. drugs charges.

CHINESE IMPORTS

China is a major customer of and investor in Venezuela's oil

sector.

Much of the ⁠oil Venezuela ‌exports is sold to China, although

Beijing declares very little and imports ‌are often rebranded.

Imports hit about 470,000 barrels per day during 2025,

according to energy analytics firm Vortexa, or ⁠roughly 4.5% of

China's seaborne crude imports.

Russia's Roszarubezhneft energy firm, which operates in the

South American country, said last month that all of the

company's assets in Venezuela were the property of Russia and it

would stick to its commitments to international partners there.

Roszarubezhneft, owned by a unit of the Russian Ministry of

Economic Development, was incorporated in 2020 and soon

afterwards acquired the Venezuelan holdings of Russian state-run

oil company Rosneft after Washington imposed sanctions

at the ​time on two Rosneft units for trading Venezuelan oil.

Russia has long maintained close ties with Venezuela,

spanning energy cooperation, military links and high-level

political contacts, and Moscow has backed Caracas diplomatically

for years.

Rosneft had stakes ​in upstream ventures in Venezuela, such

as Petromonagas (40%), ‌Petroperija (40%), Boqueron (26.67%),

Petromiranda (32%) and Petrovictoria (40%).

(Reporting by Dmitry Antonov; writing by Vladimir Soldatkin

Editing ​by Andrew Osborn and Ros Russell)