Europe largely silent after US seizure of Nicolás Maduro to avoid angering Trump

The dramatic seizure of Nicolás Maduro from Caracas by US forces, to face trial in New York, has sent diplomatic shock waves across Europe. European leaders have faced an awkward dilemma: how to welcome the removal of an authoritarian ruler without endorsing an operation that many legal experts say tramples over international law.

Opposition politicians in the UK voiced sharper views: Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said “where the legal certainty is not yet clear, morally I do think it was the right thing to do”, while Liberal Democrat Ed Davey demanded that Keir Starmer condemn what he described as an “illegal action in Venezuela”.

Patrick Wintour, the Guardian’s diplomatic editor, says most European governments have broadly welcomed the end of Maduro’s rule while avoiding explicit endorsement of how it was achieved. Statements from Brussels, London and Paris have stressed the need for a “peaceful and democratic transition” and repeatedly invoked international law.

Patrick says France has gone furthest in voicing concern, warning the operation violated the principle of non-use of force, while Italy’s prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, described the intervention as legitimate; he adds that Downing Street has been among the most cautious, saying the UK “believe[s] in international law, but we say this largely in the abstract”.

Key Topics

World, Nicolas Maduro, Donald Trump, International Law, Giorgia Meloni