Chavez, a persistent critic of the United States, said Washington was using its ally Georgia to weaken a resurgent Russia.

"The intention of the United States is to reduce Russia to its minimum expression," said Chavez, who has used higher revenue from Venezuelan oil production to buy weapons worth billions of dollars from Russia in recent years. 

"The Russians did what they had to do, we recognize the courage of President Dmitry Medvedev, we are with Russia," Chavez said on his weekly television show.

Chavez said Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin had told him by telephone that Georgian troops started the war by attacking Russian peacekeepers in breakaway South Ossetia. Russia responded by moving troops deep into Georgia proper.

Venezuela's Chavez backs Russia in Georgia conflict