Russia and China Back Venezuela's Call for U.N. Security Council Meeting Over U.S. Military Escalation

Russia and China have backed Venezuela's request for an emergency session of the United Nations Security Council to address what Caracas called a "grave escalation of U.S. military aggression" in the Caribbean, diplomatic sources told AFP. The meeting is scheduled for Friday.

In a letter to the Council, Venezuela's ambassador to the U.N., Samuel Moncada, accused the Trump administration of carrying out "deadly military operations in international waters" that have killed at least 21 people in recent weeks.

Moncada also wrote that the U.S. actions "threaten peace, security, and stability regionally and internationally," and warned of an "armed attack" against Venezuela "in a very short time," as CBS News explains.

The request follows four U.S. military strikes on small boats that Washington said were transporting drugs bound for the United States. President Donald Trump told Congress last week that the U.S. is in an "armed conflict" with drug cartels, asserting legal authority for the operations. The U.S. military has deployed F-35 fighter jets to Puerto Rico and positioned a naval armada—including eight surface warships and a nuclear submarine—in the Caribbean.

Venezuela and its allies argue that Washington's stated anti-narcotics mission masks a broader goal of regime change. "The ulterior motive remains the same as that which has characterized the United States' actions toward Venezuela for more than 26 years: to seize control of the vast natural resources found in Venezuelan territory," Moncada wrote.

Moscow and Beijing, both permanent members of the Security Council with veto power, confirmed support for Venezuela's request, according to diplomats cited by AFP. Their backing virtually guarantees that the session will proceed, though any formal resolution condemning the United States is unlikely to advance given Washington's own veto power.

Earlier this week President Nicolás Maduro accused the Trump administration of preparing an invasion and warned that "if the gringos attack, we will respond." Venezuela has launched continuous military drills under its "Independence Plan 200" to secure key infrastructure, while Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López alleged that U.S. special forces could attempt "targeted assassinations" and sabotage operations.