US military strikes and forced regime change in Venezuela have left European countries in a diplomatic bind, as they distance themselves from Washington’s actions while hesitating to criticise them outright.
The world reacted with shock after the Trump administration launched “ Operation Absolute Resolve ” to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, and transported them to the United States for detention at a New York facility.
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Trump pledges to keep Venezuelan oil flowing to China after Maduro capture
Trump pledges to keep Venezuelan oil flowing to China after Maduro capture
In contrast, European countries, already strained by the protracted war in Ukraine , have tried to distance themselves from the US without offering direct criticism.
Top European Union diplomat Kaja Kallas said on social media on Sunday that “the EU has repeatedly stated that Mr Maduro lacks legitimacy and has defended a peaceful transition”.
“Under all circumstances, the principles of international law and the UN Charter must be respected,” she wrote, adding that “we call for restraint”.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz offered a similar sentiment. Maduro “led his country into ruin” and had “played a problematic role in the region”, he posted.
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