Alexei Zhuravlyov, the deputy chairman of Russia's parliamentary defence committee, warned that "the Americans may be in for some surprises" as he opened the door to a weapons transfer to Venezuela. "I see no obstacles to supplying a friendly country with new developments such as the Oreshnik or, let's say, the well-proven Kalibr missiles," Mr Zhuravlyov told the Russian news website Gazeta.Ru. The Oreshnik missile, translating as "hazel tree", is capable of striking any target across the European continent in under an hour if launched from Russia or Belarus, according to Moscow.