The ⁠Russian foreign ministry said on Saturday it was extremely concerned by reports that Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro and his wife had been forcibly removed from ⁠the country during "aggressive actions" by the United States.

"We call ​for immediate clarification of this situation. Such actions, if they did indeed take place, constitute ⁠an unacceptable violation of the sovereignty of an independent state, respect for which is ⁠a key ​principle of ⁠international law," the ministry said in a statement.

The U.S. struck Venezuela and captured Maduro on Saturday, President Donald Trump said, ⁠after ​months of pressuring him over accusations of drug-running and illegitimacy in power.