Once rock solid, his reliance on his two main allies - China and Russia - now appears increasingly uncertain. Maduro reportedly asked China and Russia for military assistance at the end of October, according to The Washington Post. The Kremlin's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov has said "we support Venezuela, as it supports us", while urging the Trump administration to avoid escalating the crisis, Russian media reported. Russia has provided Venezuela with military support for yearsLike Moscow, Beijing has shown no sign it would militarily defend Venezuela, instead condemning what it calls "external interference" and urging restraint. Getty Images Venezuela has purchased hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of Chinese military equipment since 2005