The United Nations Security Council called for the release of Myanmar’s leader Aung San Suu Kyi and others detained by the military and stressed the need to uphold democracy, but stopped short of condemning this week’s coup.

In the United States, the din of voices weighing in to warn the generals to change course grew, as US President Joe Biden said the military should step down and his security adviser said the administration was considering an executive order that could include sanctions.