The United Nations Security Council convened a rare meeting focused on the United States on Friday to discuss the Trump administration’s recent military strikes on Venezuelan boats in the Caribbean, and the risks these actions posed to regional stability.

Though the meeting itself was noteworthy — the council seldom holds meetings on the conduct of the United States, a permanent member — the 15 members of the council were hardly unanimous in support for Venezuela’s government or in open condemnation of the United States.

Tensions between the United States and Venezuela have escalated in recent months. The Trump administration has conducted at least four strikes on boats off the waters of Venezuela, killing at least 21 people, alleging that they were smuggling drugs.

President Trump recently told Congress that his administration had determined the United States is in a war with drug cartels and that, therefore, people crewing boats suspected of drug smuggling are “unlawful combatants.” That idea that has been sharply contested by a range of legal specialists in laws governing the use of military force.

Russia and China sharply criticized the United States on Friday, saying its actions violated international law and violated the sovereignty of Venezuela.

Vasily Nebenzya, Russia’s ambassador to the U.N., said the military actions and killing of civilians without trial reflected a U.S. “cowboy principle of shoot first.” He said the attacks were an example of “American exceptionalism” in which, he said, Washington does what it wants and expects other countries to fall in line.