UN Security Council to meet over situation in Venezuela

The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on the situation in Venezuela on Tuesday, the Security Council presidency confirmed Thursday.

"In response to your questions, I can confirm that the Presidency intends to convene a meeting on Venezuela on Tuesday at 15:00," said Laura Miklic, spokeswoman for the Permanent Mission of Slovenia to the United Nations.

Slovenia holds the rotating presidency of the Security Council for the month of December.

The emergency meeting was reportedly requested by Venezuela.

On Wednesday, Venezuela requested the UN Security Council to hold an emergency meeting to discuss the ongoing U.S. aggression in order to take necessary measures to restore international law.

For almost four months, the United States has maintained a significant military presence in the Caribbean, much of which off Venezuela's coast, purportedly to combat drug trafficking -- a claim Venezuela has denounced as a thinly veiled attempt to bring about regime change in Caracas.

On Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump said he had ordered a total blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers going into and out of Venezuela, stepping up a months-long pressure campaign against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

Amid continuous boat strikes, Trump also repeatedly said in recent weeks that the U.S. military would begin land strikes targeting drug traffickers in the Caribbean country "very soon".

In another development, Russia on Thursday urged the U.S. administration not to make a "fatal mistake" on Venezuela, warning of unpredictable consequences for the Western Hemisphere.

In a statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry called on Washington to "refrain from further escalating the situation, which could lead to unpredictable consequences for the entire Western Hemisphere."

The ministry reiterated Russia's support for the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, emphasizing the need to protect national interests and sovereignty and to ensure that Latin America remains a zone of peace.

UN Security Council to meet over situation in Venezuela

China's top diplomat Wang Yi on Tuesday emphasized the importance of upholding international rules, saying that the conflict between the United States and Iran, which has lasted for over a hundred days, has severely impacted the regional and international situation.

Wang, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, made the remarks during the 16th Meeting of BRICS National Security Advisors and High Representatives on National Security held in New Delhi, India.

He said that the recent signing of the first phase of the U.S.-Iran Memorandum of Understanding, along with the conflict, has made many things clear to us.

The first is the importance of upholding international rules, Wang said at Tuesday's conference.

"The settlement of any international and regional hotspot issues should be based on abiding by international rules. The law of the jungle may succeed for a while, but it is not sustainable," he said.

The second is the importance of respecting national sovereignty, Wang said, adding that territorial integrity shall not be violated and a country's internal affairs shall not be interfered with. This is the most basic bottom line of international justice, he noted.

The third point is the importance of establishing a new vision of security, Wang said.

"Countries are increasingly becoming a community with a shared future. The practice of seeking absolute security of oneself at the expense of others will only backfire," he said.

The Chinese top diplomat said that the fourth is to understand the significance of new forms of war. Unconventional warfare, such as information warfare and cyber warfare, has become more visible in recent conflicts. Facing interwoven traditional and non-traditional security threats, it is the right time for BRICS countries to enhance dialogue and cooperation on security affairs.

China's top diplomat stresses int'l rules at BRICS meeting