Putin and Netanyahu discussed developments in the Middle East and Iran in a phone call on Friday, Russia said.

The US raid on Venezuela has exposed the limits of ties between Moscow and Caracas – while pointing the way for potential strategic opportunities for Russia’s Vladimir Putin in Washington’s new era of gunboat diplomacy.

Russia has strongly condemned the U.S. seizure of an oil tanker. It heralds a new chill in relations between Moscow and Washington that could spread to other areas and affect President Donald Trump’s efforts to persuade Russia to end its nearly four-year war in Ukraine.

Vladimir Putin has been careful to avoid antagonizing Donald Trump as he seeks a favorable outcome in Ukraine.

Over more than two decades, Russia has built deep ties inside Venezuela’s military, energy sector, and political elite -- connections analysts say could persist despite the capture of Nicolas Maduro.

The U.S. military operation in Venezuela can be seen as both a benefit and a burden for Russian President Vladimir Putin