Putin ally backs China, says US was wrong to shoot down spy balloon

Venezuela, an ally of Russia, expressed its support for China by condemning the American “attack” on the Chinese spy balloon last week.

“The government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela rejects the attack by the United States against an unmanned aircraft of Chinese origin of a civilian nature which had shown a technical failure and which posed no military or physical threat to those on the ground” , Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil Pinto said in a translated statement on Sunday.

He said the United States had resorted to “the use of force” instead of handling the situation “with the seriousness and responsibility the matter deserves.”

The balloon was seen flying over the United States last week. It was shot down over the weekend off South Carolina after the Pentagon said it was a surveillance balloon that violated US airspace.

Pinto added that Venezuela is committed to the values ​​of the United Nations Charter and its “adherence to dialogue for the peaceful resolution of conflicts and healthy coexistence among nations and peoples.”

“All disputes must be resolved responsibly and in accordance with international law,” he wrote in a Tweeteraccording to an English translation.

Last week, China’s Foreign Ministry said the balloon was a civilian airship used to monitor the weather.

“Affected by the Westerlies and with limited self-steering capability, the airship veered away from its intended course,” spokesman Mao Ning said. “The Chinese side regrets the airship’s involuntary entry into US airspace due to force majeure.”

Mao said China had “no intention” of violating US airspace or international law.

“China is a responsible country and always acts in strict accordance with international law,” she said.

A second Chinese balloon has been spotted over Latin America in what China considers another “mistake”.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is a staunch ally of China and Russia.

During his annual address to the country’s parliament last month, Maduro said he wanted to create a bloc uniting Latin America with the economic and political forces of Russia and China to create “new poles of power”.

Maduro added that the alliance would include “that community of shared destiny that our older brother, President Xi Jinping talks about” or “that multipolar, multicentric world that our older brother, President Vladimir Putin talks about,” the news outlet reported. Russian state RT.