BUENOS AIRES, September 2 (RIA Novosti) - Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has demanded that the Western countries stop accusing Russia of the Ukrainian Crisis, Venezolana de Television reported Tuesday.
"Here in our independent Venezuela we demand from those who are now pursuing and accusing Russia to cease attacks against it. We demand to stop searching for an excuse to start a war with Russia... We want peace for the whole world, we want respect for Russia, and we talk about it from here, from the Bolivarian Venezuela," Maduro said.
The United States introduced a wide range of sanctions against Russian politicians, businessmen and companies in connection with the Ukrainian crisis. The US officials are also urging their allies to introduce similar restrictive measures. The European Union, Switzerland, Canada, Australia and Japan followed this example and attempted to influence Russia by introducing their own set of sanctions.
The Western countries think Russia is to blame for the Ukrainian crisis, in particular accusing it of supporting local independence supporters in the southeast of Ukraine. Moscow denies the allegations as unfounded, and in response to the sanctions restricted food imports from these countries.
Nicolas Maduro, like his predecessor, Hugo Chavez (1999-2013), is known for tough anti-Western rhetoric and prefers to build partnerships with Russia and China.
