U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will urge UN Security Council members to recognize opposition leader Juan Guaido as Venezuela’ interim president during a January 26 emergency meeting, the State Department said in a statement issued on January 25.

"Secretary Pompeo will urge members of the Security Council and the international community to uphold international peace and security by recognizing Juan Guaido as the constitutional interim President of Venezuela, and call for support for the transitional government in their quest to restore democracy and the rule of law," the statement said.

The meeting of the 15-member council was requested by the United States after the U.S. and a number of countries in the region said they recognized Guaido as head of state and urged President Nicolas Maduro to step down.

Maduro has been criticized for alleged human rights abuses and for his handling of Venezuela's economy.

The UN request faces opposition from Russia, which has expressed support for its ally Maduro.

If the UN Security Council holds a meeting on Venezuela, Moscow will insist on compliance with international law, Russia's RIA news agency cited Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as saying on January 25.

When asked on January 24 if the council should meet on Venezuela, Russian UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said: “I don’t think so, that’s their internal business.”

Based on reporting by Reuters and AFP