VENEZUELAN President Nicolas Maduro said he was still comfortably in charge and open to direct negotiations with the U.S., in an interview published Saturday by The Washington Post.

The interview was Maduro’s first with a major U.S. outlet since February of last year, when he abruptly ejected all Univision journalists from Venezuela.

“If there’s respect between governments, no matter how big the United States is, and if there’s a dialogue, an exchange of truthful information, then be sure we can create a new type of relationship,” Maduro told the Post.

The socialist leader said he was ready to hold talks with the U.S. to negotiate an end to sanctions imposed by President Donald Trump intended to throttle the South American country’s oil industry and force Maduro from power.

Maduro indicated that, if Trump were to lift sanctions, U.S. oil companies could benefit immensely from Venezuela’s oil.

“A confrontational relationship brings a lose-lose situation. That’s the formula,” Maduro said.  (SD-Agencies)