President Donald Trump said he held "very positive" talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on the crisis in oil-rich Venezuela, where Washington is pushing to oust the Moscow-backed president.
The US leader adopted a strikingly conciliatory tone following more than an hour-long conversation with Mr Putin, coming days after an abortive military uprising in support of Juan Guaido, the opposition leader seeking to drive Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro from power.
"It was a very positive conversation," Mr Trump said. "He is not looking at all to get involved in Venezuela other than he'd like to see something positive happen for Venezuela."
"And I feel the same way. We want to get some humanitarian aid. Right now people are starving."
Mr Trump's tone came in stark contrast to that of his top advisers, in particular Secretary of State Mike Pompeo who charged this week that the socialist Mr Maduro had been poised to flee to Cuba, but was talked out of it by the Russians.
Recognised as interim leader by more than 50 countries including the United States, Mr Guaido has vowed to keep the pressure up on Mr Maduro, urging his supporters to stage peaceful demonstrations at military bases Saturday in a fresh bid to rally the armed forces behind him.
US-Russian tensions have spiked over the months-long stand off in Venezuela, and the Kremlin's assessment of the Trump-Putin call differed substantially from that coming from the White House.
"Interference in internal affairs, attempts to change the leadership in Caracas through force, undermine the prospects for a peaceful settlement of the conflict," said a Russian statement.
"Vladimir Putin stated that only the Venezuelan people have the right to decide the future of their country," it added.
The United States has imposed tough sanctions and Trump has refused to take the threat of military action off the table, in an intensifying campaign to drive Mr Maduro from power.
Washington is insisting Mr Maduro's days are numbered -- but experts say US options for breaking the stalemate are limited, and that Washington may have overestimated the opposition leader's strength.
