1 day ago
Last Updated:January 05, 2026, 17:49 IST
Donald Trump's orders to launch strikes in Venezuela and capture its President Nicolas Maduro have sharply divided global opinion, with many calling it an imperialist outreach.
Trump's actions in Venezuela has sparked protests from across the world. (Reuters)
Amid a global divide over an audacious military operation in Caracas that culminated in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, French President Emmanuel Macron said France “does not approve" of the American operation that triggered a massive debate over US interventionism.
Macron said during a cabinet meeting on Monday that the “method" used by the United States to capture Nicolas Maduro was “neither supported nor approved" by France. Macron also said that Nicolas Maduro was “a dictator" and that his departure was “good news for Venezuelans," Maud Bregeon told reporters, according to France24.
Furthermore, a spokesperson for the French foreign ministry voiced “regret" over a lack of respect for international law in the US military action in Venezuela. “ law was not respected in the means of action used. We regret that," Pascal Confavreux told TV channel TF1.
However, he also mentioned that Maduro had “lost his popular legitimacy" after being declared the winner of the 2024 presidential election, which the opposition, international observers and many countries called fraudulent. Hence, France was “not going to regret" Maduro’s removal from power, Confavreux stressed.
Meanwhile, German government on Monday said the United States must explain its actions in Venezuela to the world. The US must “explain to the international community on what basis the actions we have witnessed over the last few days should be judged, and this has not yet happened," a government spokesperson said at a regular news conference on Monday.
This came German chancellor Friedrich Merz previously said that Maduro had “led his country to ruin", but called the deadly US military operation legally “complex", according to The Guardian.
Divided Global Opinion
US President Donald Trump’s orders to launch strikes in Venezuela – which killed 40 people – and capture Maduro has divided global opinion, with several world leaders condemning what they described as an imperialist outreach, while others called for an immediate meeting of the UN Security Council.
While Russia and China broadly condemned the US action in Venezuela, countries such as Israel and Argentina congratulated Trump for a “successful" mission. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he is deeply alarmed by the US action in Venezuela that set “a dangerous precedent".
Most European leaders offered a cautious reaction to the US action, with the exception of Hungary. They welcomed the end of Maduro’s regime in Venezuela, but stressed that the principles of international law must be upheld in the Latin American country and the will of the country’s people must be respected.
“The EU recalls that, under all circumstances, the principles of international law and the UN Charter must be upheld. Members of the United Nations Security Council have a particular responsibility to uphold those principles, as a pillar of the international security architecture," the EU’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas said in a statement supported by 26 of the 27 EU nations.
The EU has said Maduro lacked democratic legitimacy, and called for a transition to democracy determined by the will of the Venezuelan people. “Respecting the will of the Venezuelan people remains the only way for Venezuela to restore democracy and resolve the current crisis," the statement said.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a post on X that while his country shed no tears about the end of Maduro’s regime, he reiterated his support for international law. “The UK government will discuss the evolving situation with US counterparts in the days ahead as we seek a safe and peaceful transition to a legitimate government that reflects the will of the Venezuelan people," he wrote.
Maduro is in a New York detention centre and is set to appear before a court on Monday on drug charges. He was indicted in 2020 on charges including narco-terrorism and obtaining offensive weapons.
(with inputs from agencies)
Location :
United States of America (USA)
First Published:
January 05, 2026, 17:28 IST
News world Macron Says France 'Doesn't Approve' Of US Action In Venezuela; Germany Seeks Trump's Explanation
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