Britain and the European Union urged respect for international law on Saturday after the US launched a large-scale assault on Venezuela and announced the capture of its leader Nicolas Maduro, drawing condemnation from his allies in Latin America, Russia and Iran, as well as from Lebanon’s Hezbollah.

“The EU has repeatedly stated that Mr. Maduro lacks legitimacy and has defended a peaceful transition” in Venezuela, the 27-nation bloc’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas wrote on X after speaking with her US counterpart Marco Rubio. “Under all circumstances, the principles of international law and the UN Charter must be respected. We call for restraint.”

Kallas said the EU was closely monitoring the fast-moving situation and that she had spoken to the bloc’s envoy to Venezuela, with the safety of EU citizens “our top priority.”

EU Council President Ursula von der Leyen said she was following developments “very closely.”

“We stand by the people of Venezuela and support a peaceful and democratic transition. Any solution must respect international law and the UN Charter,” she said on X.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the UK had no part in the assault ordered by US President Donald Trump on Venezuelan capital Caracas.

“I want to establish the facts first, I want to speak to President Trump, I want to speak to allies,” the UK leader said in brief comments aired on British 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.”

Neither the EU nor the UK has recognized the results of the disputed 2024 election that handed Maduro a third term in power. Both have slapped sanctions on dozens of Venezuelan officials for undermining democracy in the country.

But they have stopped short of formally recognizing 2024 opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia as Venezuela’s rightful leader, as the United States has done.

Gonzalez Urrutia ran as a last-minute stand-in for opposition figurehead Maria Corina Machado, who was barred from contesting last year’s election. After the vote, Gonzalez Urrutia fled........

© The Times of Israel