Russia says U.S. military action in Venezuela would be catastrophic

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held talks with his U.S. counterpart Mike Pompeo in Finland on Monday after which he warned that U.S. military intervention in Venezuela would be catastrophic and unjustified.

The two men met on the sidelines of a meeting of the Arctic Council in Finland.

Lavrov told reporters his meeting had been constructive and that the two top diplomats had made decent progress when it came to discussing strategic nuclear stability.

Conversely, Pompeo said Russia is behaving aggressively in the Arctic and China's actions there had to be watched closely as well amid growing divisions in the polar region over global warming and access to minerals.

Speaking as he arrived in northern Finland for a meeting of nations with territory in the Arctic, Pompeo said China appeared to have national security aims there, and Russia's activities, including plans for new shipping channels from Asia to northern Europe, deserved a closer look.

"The United States and Arctic nations welcome transparent Chinese investment that reflect economic interests, not national security ambitions," Pompeo said in a speech.

Lavrov also said he was sure that Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump would have another chance to meet again after their summit in Helsinki last year.