Russia Appears To Warn U.S. Over Pressure Against Venezuela: 'We Stand Ready To Respond Appropriately'

The Russian government appeared to send a warning to the Trump administration over its pressure campaign against Venezuela, saying Moscow stands "ready to respond appropriately to the requests of our partners in light of emerging threats."

"We support the leadership of Venezuela in defending its national sovereignty, taking into account the dynamics of the international & regional situation" said press official Maria Zakharova, according to a social media publication from the Russian Foreign Ministry.

However, many indicators point at the Trump administration dismissing any concern and moving towards escalation. In fact, a new report detailed that the president has been presented with a list of potential strikes inside Venezuela.

The Wall Street Journal detailed that the targets are considered nexus between the Nicolas Maduro regime and drug-trafficking organizations. They include military ports and airports, as well as naval facilities and airstrips.

The outlet noted that Trump hasn't made a final decision yet, but he has publicly suggested the current military campaign would go from conducting strikes against alleged drug boats in the ocean to others in land.

The focus of the escalation, it added, would be to convince Maduro to step down. "The President is prepared to use every element of American power to stop drugs from flooding into our homeland," White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly told the WSJ in a statement.

Several Republican officials have been supportive of the operation, with some claiming that the regime's days are numbered. However, a growing number of GOP lawmakers are publicly demanding greater oversight of the campaign. But the administration is so confident that its military campaign is so popular that it doesn't need approval from Congress, according to another report.

Concretely, a White House official told Politico this week that the strikes against the vessels in the Caribbean and the Eastern Pacific fulfill a campaign promise from Donald Trump to deal with drug cartels.