Armed aggression, calls for restraint: How world reacted to US strikes on Venezuela - who said what

US President Donald Trump announced that US forces had carried out a large-scale military assault on Venezuela and captured President Nicolás Maduro, flying him and his wife out of the country causing alarm across the international community. The operation, which Washington said ended years of pressure on Caracas, has triggered urgent diplomatic activity across Europe, Latin America and beyond.Venezuela’s government declared a state of emergency and described the US action as an “extremely serious military aggression”, while regional allies warned of instability and a humanitarian crisis. Several governments called for restraint, respect for sovereignty and adherence to international law, even as uncertainty persisted over Maduro’s status and the next political steps for the oil-rich nation. The European Union called for restraint and respect for international law. The bloc’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, wrote after speaking to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio: “Under all circumstances, the principles of international law and the UN Charter must be respected. We call for restraint.”She reiterated that the EU does not recognise Maduro’s legitimacy, adding that the bloc was closely monitoring the situation and prioritising the safety of EU citizens. While the EU has sanctioned Venezuelan officials, it has stopped short of formally recognising Gonzalez Urrutia as president. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said all countries should “uphold international law” following the US operation. Speaking on television, he said: “I want to establish the facts first, I want to speak to President Trump, I want to speak to allies.”He added: “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.” Moscow reacted sharply, demanding clarity over what it described as an abduction. “We are extremely alarmed by reports that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were forcibly removed from the country as a result of today’s US aggression. We call for an immediate clarification of the situation,” the Russian foreign ministry said.In a separate statement, it condemned the strike as “an act of armed aggression against Venezuela”, adding: “The pretexts used to justify such actions are untenable. Ideological hostility has triumphed over businesslike pragmatism.” Spain offered to mediate, urging restraint and de-escalation. “Spain calls for de-escalation and restraint,” the foreign ministry said, adding it was “ready to help in the search for a democratic, negotiated, and peaceful solution for the country.”Madrid reiterated it had not recognised the 2024 election result and highlighted its role in sheltering Venezuelan political exiles, including Gonzalez Urrutia.Colombian President Gustavo Petro described the US action as an “assault on the sovereignty” of Latin America and warned it would lead to a humanitarian crisis. Colombia called for an immediate meeting of the UN Security Council.Mexico’s left-wing government also condemned the strikes, saying military action “seriously jeopardizes regional stability”. Its foreign ministry said Mexico “strongly condemns and rejects the military actions carried out unilaterally” by the United States. Iran said it “strongly condemns the US military attack on Venezuela and a flagrant violation of the country’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity”.Cuba denounced what it called “state terrorism against the brave Venezuelan people”, urging a global response to what it described as a “criminal attack” on Caracas.