US Will 'Seek Wars' Till Its Economy Depends On Oil: Colombian President

Colombian President Gustavo Petro said that the US will continue to seek wars as long as their economy depends on oil and coal. In his remark, he also added that if the US had not pulled out of the Paris Agreement, "there would be no wars".

In an interview with the BBC, Petro said, "As long as the US economy is based on oil and coal, 70% of its energy matrix, it will tend to seek wars for both resources."

The 1992 agreement between 198 countries to financially support climate change activities in developing countries is the underlying treaty for the landmark Paris climate agreement. Trump withdrew from that agreement soon after returning to the White House.

Petro said that had the US not withdrawn from the Paris Agreement, "there would be no wars, there would be a much more democratic and peaceful relationship with the world. And South America."

His comments come after a period of acrimonious clashes on social media with US President Donald Trump, after which diplomacy paid off.

Last year, Trump threatened potential military strikes on the Andean nation while accusing Petro of involvement in the drug trade, threats he repeated after Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's capture.

Following an hour-long phone call with Trump, Colombia expects tensions with the US to ease and cooperation on drug trafficking to strengthen. On Friday, Trump said that Petro will visit the White House next month. 

"I look forward to having a meeting with Gustavo Petro, the President of Colombia, in the White House, during the first week of February," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

Meanwhile, the United States and Venezuelan governments said Friday they were exploring the possibility of restoring diplomatic relations between the two countries and that a delegation from the Trump administration arrived in the South American nation on Friday.