SOCHI. May 15 (Interfax) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that it is inadmissible to provoke a civil war in Venezuela, Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov said, adding that the parties had a frank discussion on Venezuela.
"The discussion was rather frank. We once again noted that only the people of this country is capable of defining its future and said that any steps provoking a civil war there are inadmissible," Ushakov said in the wake of Putin-Pompeo talks.
The Russia side underlined that responsible forces in Venezuela should begin active dialogue, he said. "We also noted that all attempts to oust the incumbent president through external pressure are first of all counterproductive and second of all may have the most disastrous consequences for the regional situation," Ushakov said.
The future of Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro was not discussed at the Putin-Pompeo meeting, he said.