Strikes on Venezuelan Boats Prompt Rare U.N. Meeting on the United States

The United Nations Security Council convened a rare meeting focused on the United States on Friday to discuss the Trump administration’s recent military strikes on Venezuelan boats in the Caribbean, and the risks these actions posed to regional stability.

Though the meeting itself was noteworthy — the council seldom holds meetings on the conduct of the United States, a permanent member — the 15 members of the council were hardly unanimous in support for Venezuela’s government or in open condemnation of the United States.

Tensions between the United States and Venezuela have escalated in recent months. The Trump administration has conducted at least four strikes on boats off the waters of Venezuela, killing at least 21 people, alleging that they were smuggling drugs.

President Trump recently told Congress that his administration had determined the United States is in a war with drug cartels and that, therefore, people crewing boats suspected of drug smuggling are “unlawful combatants.” That idea that has been sharply contested by a range of legal specialists in laws governing the use of military force.

Russia and China sharply criticized the United States on Friday, saying its actions violated international law and violated the sovereignty of Venezuela.

Vasily Nebenzya, Russia’s ambassador to the U.N., said the military actions and killing of civilians without trial reflected a U.S. “cowboy principle of shoot first.” He said the attacks were an example of “American exceptionalism” in which, he said, Washington does what it wants and expects other countries to fall in line.

Russia, which holds the rotating presidency of the council this month, has used its own permanent-member status on the Security Council to forestall U.N. condemnation of its illegal invasion of Ukraine and the ongoing war there.

But other diplomats — from European and African countries, as well as from Guyana, a South American member of the council — crafted their words carefully, avoiding direct denunciation of the Trump administration. They instead spoke in general terms about the need to engage diplomatically and conduct all actions against drug cartels within the boundaries of international laws and the U.N. charter.

“We reiterate the call for de-escalation and continue to urge the parties to avoid any actions that may threaten international peace and security in the region,” said Miroslav Jenca, the top U.N. political and peace-building official for Europe, Central Asia and the Americas. “We call for a constructive dialogue and a peaceful resolution of differences.”

The meeting was requested by Venezuela, which said in a letter to the presidency of the council that Washington’s recent attacks on the boats were part of a larger threat “against the territorial integrity and political independence of our nation.” Venezuela also accused Mr. Trump of seeking to topple the government of President Nicolás Maduro.

The meeting coincided with the announcement that María Corina Machado, a leading Venezuelan opposition figure, had been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for working to bring democratic change to her country through peaceful activism. Several council members congratulated Ms. Machado in their speeches. The United States did not.

John Kelley, a political counselor with the U.S. mission to the United Nations, told the council that Washington does not recognize Mr. Maduro and “his cronies” as the government of Venezuela, and that U.S. forces were prepared to carry out further military operations as necessary to combat drug cartels.

“To reiterate, the United States will not waver in our action to protect Americans from narco-terrorists,” Mr. Kelley said.