President Donald Trump confirmed reports that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro offered to grant the U.S. access to Venezuelan oil and other natural resources, as tensions heat up between the U.S. and Venezuela amid Trump’s crusade against drugs.
Trump said that Maduro put forth the proposal because the Venezuelan leader doesn't want to mess with the U.S.
"You're right. You know why? Because he doesn't want to f*** around with the United States," Trump told reporters Friday during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The New York Times reported on Oct. 10 that Maduro proposed offering current and future oil and gold projects in Venezuela to U.S. companies, and stipulated U.S. businesses would be granted "preferential" contracts. Likewise, the Times reported that other conditions Maduro put forth included cutting down on energy and mining contracts with U.S. adversaries — including China, Iran and Russia.
However, the Trump administration wrote off the offer, and instead, said it was no longer interested in engaging in diplomatic efforts, according to the Times.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
