World leaders have continued to react to the US strike in Venezuela and the arrest of the South American country’s leader, Nicolas Maduro.
From China to the UK, the leaders were not unanimous in their reaction to the strike.
United Nations
The United Nations Security Council will meet on Monday to discuss the US operation to seize Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro in Caracas, the Somali presidency of the Council told AFP on Saturday.
The emergency meeting, scheduled for 10:00 am (1500 GMT), was requested by Venezuela and relayed by Colombia, diplomatic sources said.
Russia
Russia on Saturday urged the United States to release Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, following their shock capture by US forces earlier in the day.
“We strongly urge the American leadership to reconsider its position and release the legally elected president of the sovereign country and his wife,” the Russian foreign ministry said.
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Italy
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni defended the US military action in Venezuela on Saturday, calling it legitimate ‘defence’, even as she said outside military force should not be used for regime change.
“The government believes that external military action is not the way to end totalitarian regimes, but at the same time considers defensive intervention against hybrid attacks on its security to be legitimate, as in the case of state entities that fuel and promote drug trafficking,” the far-right leader — an ally of US President Donald Trump — said in a statement.
France
France on Saturday condemned the American operation that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, saying it undermined international law while no solution to the country’s crisis can be imposed from the outside.
Maduro “gravely violated” the rights of Venezuelans, but the military operation that led to him being grabbed “contravenes the principle of non-use of force, which underpins international law”, Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot wrote on X.
“No lasting political solution can be imposed from the outside”, he said, warning that “the increasing violations” of this principle by permanent UN Security Council members “will have serious consequences for global security, sparing no one”.
Turkey
Turkey on Saturday called on all parties to act with “restraint” after US forces captured Venezuela’s leader Nicolas Maduro and bombed its capital Caracas.
“In order to prevent the current situation from leading to negative consequences for regional and international security, we call on all parties to act with restraint,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.
Brazil
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Saturday slammed the US attacks on Venezuela as a “serious affront” to the country’s sovereignty, echoing criticism made by fellow regional heavyweight, Mexico.
“The bombings in Venezuelan territory and the capture of its president cross an unacceptable line” the left-wing Lula wrote on X, saying they threaten “the preservation of the region as a zone of peace.”
He urged the international community, through the United Nations, to “respond vigorously” to the attacks.
China
China said on Saturday it firmly opposes US military strikes on Venezuela and the capture of the country’s leader Nicolas Maduro, calling it a violation of international law.
“China is deeply shocked and strongly condemns the US’s blatant use of force against a sovereign state and its action against its president,” Beijing’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
“Such hegemonic behaviour by the US seriously violates international law, infringes upon Venezuela’s sovereignty, and threatens peace and security in Latin America and the Caribbean. China firmly opposes it,” it added.
United Kingdom
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Saturday all countries should “uphold international law” after President Donald Trump announced US forces had captured Venezuela’s leader Nicolas Maduro in a large-scale assault.
Calling the situation “fast-moving”, Starmer added that “the UK was not involved in any way in this operation” as he urged patience in order to “establish the facts”.
“I want to speak to President Trump, I want to speak to allies,” the British leader said in brief comments aired on UK television hours after the US attack.
“I can be absolutely clear that we were not involved in that. And as you know, I always say and believe we should all uphold international law.”
Starmer added that “hopefully more information will come out” about the situation when Trump holds a press conference later Saturday.
Germany
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Saturday that Nicolas Maduro had “led his country to ruin” after the United States snatched the Venezuelan leader out of the country during a raid on Caracas.
Merz noted Germany had not recognised the last Venezuelan election as it was “rigged” and that Maduro had “played a problematic role in the region”, including by “entangling Venezuela in the drug trade”.
But he also said that the legal aspects of the US actions were “complex”, and in general “the principles of international law must apply in relations between states”.
“Political instability must not be allowed to arise in Venezuela now,” Merz added.
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