Does the U.S. military action in Venezuela violate international law? For days, the majority of legal experts have clearly answered "yes" to this question. However, apart from Spain's strong condemnation, the U.S. Western allies have largely chosen to make vague statements and avoid directly confronting the Trump administration.

German Chancellor Merkel issued a written statement just hours after the U.S. launched its military action against Venezuela, calling the incident "complex": "The legal characterization of U.S. intervention is complex. We are handling it with caution. Fundamentally, principles of international law must apply to interactions between states."

Germany

After Merkel's statement on Saturday, German Foreign Minister Baerbock defended the Prime Minister's remarks on Monday, January 5th, calling it an "extremely complex" event. In an interview with German radio, Baerbock said, "There are indeed many aspects to consider, and the Prime Minister's statement is completely correct. It is extremely complex."

As for how complex, Baerbock explained: The regime led by Maduro is not fair, and eight million people have fled Venezuela, where political prisoners are held. He said, in addition, the United Nations has described the human rights situation in Venezuela as "very severe," and the International Criminal Court is investigating multiple cases of human rights violations in Venezuela. Baerbock said that Maduro himself is not the president elected legally in the country, "All these must be taken into account," he said, adding that this military operation also involves U.S. geopolitical interests.

The image source: REUTERS

European Union

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas called on "all parties to remain calm and restrained" on Sunday. All 26 member states supported Kallas' statement on the situation in Venezuela, except Hungary. In this regard, the EU did not explicitly condemn the U.S. arrest of Maduro, reiterating, "In any case, the principles of international law and the UN Charter must be respected." The statement also called on all parties to avoid escalating the situation and ensure a peaceful resolution of the crisis, pointing out, "Respecting the will of the Venezuelan people remains the only way for Venezuela to restore democracy and resolve the current crisis."

Spain

Within the EU, Spanish Prime Minister Sanchez directly criticized the U.S. military action on Sunday, stating, "It violates international law, and we strongly condemn it." A day earlier, Sanchez had said, "We will not recognize any act of aggression."

France

French Foreign Minister Barrot issued a statement on Friday afternoon, saying, "The military operation to capture Maduro violates the principle of non-use of force advocated by international law. France reiterates that any lasting political solution cannot be imposed externally, and only the autonomous people can decide their own future." However, he also pointed out that Maduro "has deprived the Venezuelan people of their basic freedoms, thereby depriving them of their fundamental rights."

United Kingdom

UK Prime Minister Starmer also avoided condemning the U.S. military aggression. He emphasized that "all countries must respect international law." He told reporters, "The UK did not participate in this operation." In his brief statement, he said, "I would like to talk to President Trump, but for now, I think it is necessary to first clarify the facts."

The image source: Juan Gonzalez/REUTERS

Israel

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, who had just concluded a meeting with Trump, stated that Israel supports the U.S. "decisive" action in Venezuela. "In Latin America, some countries are returning to the U.S. camp and restoring relations with Israel. We are happy about this, and we congratulate President Trump and pay tribute to the U.S. military that executed the perfect operation."

Australia

Australia called on all relevant parties on Sunday to resolve the crisis through dialogue and diplomatic means. Albanese posted on X, saying, "We urge all parties to support dialogue and diplomatic means to ensure regional stability and prevent the situation from escalating." He also added, "We will continue to support international law and support the peaceful transition to democracy in Venezuela."

Japan

Japanese Prime Minister Hashimoto posted on X on Sunday, stating that the Japanese government will work to stabilize the situation in Venezuela. She did not mention the U.S. military action or the U.S. arrest of Maduro in her post. She said the safety of Japanese nationals in the area is the top priority for the Tokyo government. The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement on the same day, which included the above content and emphasized the importance of freedom, democracy, and international law, stating that it will work with the G7 to support the restoration of democracy and stability in Venezuela.

Source: DW

Original: toutiao.com/article/7592102319265858075/

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