Russian President Vladimir Putin has openly expressed his support for Nicolás Maduro, the President of Venezuela, in the recent controversial elections. Putin has stated his confidence that relations between Brazil and Venezuela will return to their traditional course. This support contrasts with Brazil's position, which has requested the exclusion of Venezuela from a list of twelve countries that would be considered partner states of the BRICS, a group that includes Bolivia, Cuba, Nigeria, Belarus, Indonesia, and Vietnam, among others.
Amid tensions between Brazil and Venezuela, former Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva criticized Maduro for not providing evidence of his electoral victory, albeit less directly than other leaders in the region. Given Venezuela's absence from the final list of partner states in the BRICS, Putin emphasized the importance of consensus among members to admit new candidates. In a press conference, Putin stated that "Our positions do not align with Brazil's regarding Venezuela" and underscored that "It is necessary for all members of the organization to agree. The rule for admitting any candidate is that there must be consensus."
