EU urges restraint after Maduro ousting as Trump issues new threats
The European Union has urged calm after the removal of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro by the US. The bloc warned that international law must be respected as the United States tightens its grip on the country.
In a statement released on Sunday night, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas urged “calm and restraint by all actors” and stressed that international law and the UN Charter must be respected. The statement was backed by 26 of the EU’s 27 member states. Only Hungary refused to support it.
The EU said Venezuela’s future must be decided by its people and called for a peaceful and democratic transition. The statement marks the closest the bloc has come to a common position after days of mixed reactions from European leaders.
Earlier, Spain condemned the operation as a violation of international law, while Germany said the legal basis required careful assessment. France welcomed the end of Maduro’s “dictatorship” but avoided commenting on the US action itself.
Italy described the intervention as legitimate. Belgium’s Foreign minister Maxime Prévot, in turn, called for Maduro to be held accountable but insisted that “international law must be respected in all circumstances” and urged a peaceful transition that spares civilians.
Meanwhile, tensions escalated further when Trump threatened Colombia, attacking its president, Gustavo Petro, and hinting at possible US action. He also said Cuba’s government could fall soon. He also renewed his calls for an American takeover of Greenland, citing US security interests and the presence of Russian and Chinese ships.
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas © PHOTO NICOLAS TUCAT / AFP
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