'Not considering strikes on Venezuela'

U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP SAYS

- Agencies

US President Donald Trump said on Friday he is not considering strikes on Venezuela, even as new reports said the South American country has launched urgent appeals to Russia, China and Iran for military assistance in response to mounting American pressure.

"No," Trump told a journalist aboard Air Force One when asked about reports he was considering such strikes.

Internal US government documents obtained by The Washington Post show Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has reached out to multiple adversaries of Washington for help, sending letters to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping this month requesting military cooperation and equipment.

The appeals come as Washington has deployed a massive military force to the Caribbean that includes eight US Navy ships, F-35 stealth warplanes in Puerto Rico and the USS Gerald Ford aircraft carrier strike group. The administration insists the deployment is aimed at curbing drug trafficking, but Venezuela claims the US is plotting regime change in Caracas.