MOSCOW — Russia’s Foreign Ministry says Russian military personnel who arrived in Venezuela over the weekend have every right to be there.

The rift between Russia and the United States over how to resolve the crisis in Venezuela widened following the arrival of Russian military personnel to support Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

In Moscow’s first comment on the reports of the deployment, foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement late Tuesday that Russia has sent personnel “in strict accordance” with the Venezuelan constitution and a bilateral agreement on military cooperation. She did not elaborate on how many troops Russia has sent.

Venezuela’s political crisis worsened after opposition leader Juan Guaidó claimed interim presidency with the support of dozens of nations.