The UN Security Council has unanimously called for restraint and de-escalation amid US threats of further military action in Latin America.

The Council held an emergency meeting following a U.S. attack on Venezuela and the kidnapping of the country's President, Nicolás Maduro and First Lady, Cilia Flores.

Barely days after changes in its rotating leadership alongside permanent members, the UN's most powerful body was confronted with the need to take a position on U.S. attacks on Venezuela.

Arguments expressed ranged from calls for restraint to questions over the legitimacy of Venezuelan President Maduro and the legal basis cited by the United States for attacking the country.

However, what was clear was the need to uphold the principles of the UN Charter, including respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity and the requirement that international disputes be resolved through peaceful means.

The United States maintains that its military actions are justified as law-enforcement operations.

Others, including Russia and China, said they were appalled by Washington's failure to even attempt to conceal what they described as its imperialist agenda.

In what appeared to be a doubling down on its initial announcement of taking control of Venezuela, the U.S. Ambassador to the UN said this was not the case.

After extensive arguments and counterarguments, Security Council members proposed that the world body remain seized of the matter, particularly as its founding principles are being undermined.