Moscow, Dec. 23 -- As the US military presence in the Caribbean intensifies, Russia and Venezuela have joined forces to condemn what they describe as "escalatory steps" by Washington in the region, TASS reported.

In a statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Venezuelan counterpart, Yvan Gil Pinto, expressed "serious concern" over the US buildup, warning that these actions could have "wide-reaching consequences" for the region and pose a direct threat to international maritime traffic.

"The ministers expressed serious concern over the intensification of Washington's escalatory steps in the Caribbean Sea, which may have wide-reaching consequences for the region and create a threat to internationa...