Putin hails Maduro's win, Kremlin says it is deepening ties

By Guy Faulconbridge

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday congratulated Nicolas Maduro on winning the disputed Venezuelan election, and the Kremlin said it was deepening cooperation in all areas - including sensitive ones - with Caracas.

Maduro and his opposition rival Edmundo Gonzalez have both claimed victory in the presidential election as Washington and some other foreign governments cast doubt on official results that gave the incumbent a win.

The national electoral authority said just after midnight that Maduro had won a third term with 51% of the vote - a result that would extend a quarter-century of socialist rule.

Putin stood by Maduro, 61, a ally who has accused the United States and the West of fuelling the war in Ukraine, saying Moscow enjoyed a strategic partnership with the South American state and that Maduro was always welcome in Russia.

"Russian-Venezuelan relations have the character of a strategic partnership," Putin said in a message to Maduro, the Kremlin said. "I am confident that your activities at the head of state will continue to contribute to their progressive development in all directions."

"This fully meets the interests of our friendly peoples and is in line with building a more just and democratic world order," Putin said. "I would like to confirm our readiness to continue our constructive joint work on topical issues on the bilateral and international agenda."

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington had serious concerns that the results announced by the electoral authority did not reflect the votes of the people. The authority is meant to be an independent body, but the opposition says it acts as an arm of Maduro's government.

But Moscow sees Venezuela as a key partner in Latin America, and the two sanctioned states have over the past two decades cooperated in areas such as oil, weapons and military drills.

When asked if Russia would deepen cooperation with Venezuela, including in defence, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "We are developing our relations with Venezuela in all areas, including sensitive ones."

"Such cooperation is in the interests of both the Venezuelan people and the Russians, so we will comprehensively develop our relations with Venezuela," Peskov said.

Putin ended his message to Maduro: "Remember that you are always a welcome guest on Russian soil."

(Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge; Editing by Andrew Osborn and Alex Richardson)