Kremlin scoffs at US criticism of bombers in Venezuela

MOSCOW – The Kremlin has rejected U.S. criticism of Russian strategic bombers’ deployment to Venezuela.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo responded to Monday’s arrival of a pair of Tu-160 nuclear-capable bombers in Venezuela by tweeting that “the Russian and Venezuelan people should see this for what it is: two corrupt governments squandering public funds, and squelching liberty and freedom while their people suffer.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, dismissed Pompeo’s comment as “undiplomatic” and “inappropriate.” He told reporters Tuesday that such criticism sounds odd from a country “half of whose military budget would be enough to feed the whole of Africa.”

Russian-U.S. ties have sunk to post-Cold War lows over Ukraine, the war in Syria and allegations of Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. election.