Caught in a diplomatic dilemma, European countries have distanced themselves from the United States’ military strikes and forced regime change in Venezuela, while also remaining hesitant to directly criticise Washington’s actions.
There was shock around the world over the weekend after US President Donald Trump’s administration launched “Operation Absolute Resolve” to capture Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores and transport them to US territory before holding the couple in a Brooklyn detention centre.
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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, which have already been strained by the protracted war in Ukraine, have attempted to distance themselves from the US without offering direct criticism.
The European Union’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas said on her X account 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. He wrote on X that Maduro “led his country into ruin” and had “played a problematic role in the region”.
