Venezuela crisis: Top diplomats of Russia, US likely to meet on 6 May amid mounting civil unrest in South American country

Moscow: Amid mounting political and civil unrest in Venezuela, US Secretary of State Michael R Pompeo is likely to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on 6 May, state media reported on Thursday. The meeting is likely to take place in Finland’s northern city of Rovaniemi on the sidelines of Arctic Council Ministerial Meeting on 6-7 May, reported TASS. The development holds prominence as Russia and the US have taken diametrically opposed stands in Venezuela’s political crisis that was heightened after country’s opposition leader Juan Guaido called for a military uprising against President Nicolas Maduro on Tuesday. [caption id=“attachment_4884911” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Miek Pompeo. AP[/caption] The two countries have traded warnings against interfering in Venezuela. Pompeo released a statement urging Moscow to “cease support for Nicolas Maduro and join other nations, including the overwhelming majority of countries in the Western Hemisphere, who seek a better future for the Venezuelan people.” In a telephonic conversation between the two top diplomats on Wednesday, Lavrov responded by saying that Washington’s interference in Venezuela’s affairs was a destructive approach fraught with “the most serious consequences,” according to Sputnik. Venezuela has been in the throes of a political crisis, which was accelerated when Guaido declared himself as the president of the nation in January. The US immediately recognised him as the interim President, demanding Maduro to step down. Maduro continues to hold on to his post despite several countries calling for his resignation. Venezuela is also facing an acute economic and humanitarian crisis at the moment, which is worsened by repeated sanctions from the US. Countries like Cuba, China, Russia, and Turkey amongst others have slammed international interference in Venezuelan affairs, throwing their weight behind Maduro.