The United States kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to gain control of a country that has large oil reserves, a senior Russian lawmaker said. "Obviously he was not kidnapped to solve some criminal problem in international relations. He was kidnapped to gain control of Venezuela, and let me remind you that Venezuela has the largest oil reserves in the world - it's number one. It's obviously a very compelling story," Konstantin Koschev, deputy chairman of the Russian Federation Council, or the upper house of parliament, told TASS.

The United States kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to gain control of a country that has large oil reserves, a senior Russian lawmaker said. "Obviously he was not kidnapped to solve some criminal problem in international relations. He was kidnapped to gain control of Venezuela, and let me remind you that Venezuela has the largest oil reserves in the world - it's number one. It's obviously a very compelling story," Konstantin Koschev, deputy chairman of the Russian Federation Council, or the upper house of parliament, told TASS.