U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks to the media at the Department of Foreign Affairs in Pasay City, Metro Manila, Philippines, March 1, 2019. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Monday that Russia’s Rosneft was defying U.S. sanctions by buying oil from Venezuela’s state-owned oil company and helping President Nicolas Maduro’s government.

Speaking to reporters, Pompeo said Russia and Cuba had helped create the crisis in Venezuela.

“Russia’s state-owned oil company, Rosneft, continues to purchase crude oil cargoes from PDVSA, Venezuela’s state-owned oil company, in defiance of U.S. sanctions. And Rosneft’s CEO, Igor Sechin, continues to throw a lifeline to the regime,” Pompeo said.