MOSCOW, January 3. /TASS/. Russia strongly urges the American leadership to release Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
"In connection with confirmed information about the presence of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife in the United States, we strongly urge the American leadership to reconsider this position and release the legally elected president of a sovereign country and his wife," the ministry said.
It also emphasized the need "to create conditions for resolving any existing problems between the United States and Venezuela through dialogue."
On January 3, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil Pinto announced that the United States had attacked civilian and military targets in Caracas. He called Washington's actions military aggression. A state of emergency was declared in Venezuela.
US President Donald Trump confirmed that the United States had launched major airstrikes against Venezuela, adding that Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife had been captured and taken out of the country.