Before Biden imposed new sanctions on Russian oil, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro met with American officials over the weekend and reportedly discussed easing U.S. sanctions on oil from Venezuela, the largest producer of oil in the Americas. After the rare visit, Venezuela released two jailed US citizens. “What we are witnessing now is an attempt to repair breaches not for any big moral or political reasons,” notes writer and activist Tariq Ali. “They need the oil,” notes writer and activist Tariq Ali. In Part 2 of our interview, we discuss the developments with Venezuela, the conflict in Ukraine, and the response from China.

This post was originally published on Democracy Now! Audio.