Ursula von der Leyen’s EU Commission avoids a clear assessment of the US approach.Image: keystone
Jan 5, 2026, 3:27 p.mJan 5, 2026, 3:27 p.m
Ursula von der Leyen’s EU Commission avoids a clear assessment of US actions in Venezuela and instead emphasizes positive aspects.
“The events of the weekend offer the possibility of a democratic transition led by the Venezuelan people,” said a spokeswoman in Brussels. President Nicolás Maduro, who was brought to New York by the USA, did not have the legitimacy of a democratically elected head of state.
When asked by a journalist whether the US actions constituted “an invasion, an intervention, an act of aggression or a coup d’état carried out from outside” from the EU Commission’s perspective, the spokeswoman did not want to comment. “We haven’t really talked about what we’re going to call it,” she said.
Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for the EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas recalled a statement published on Sunday evening that was supported by all EU states with the exception of Hungary. It points out that the principles of international law and the Charter of the United Nations must be respected in all circumstances.
This can be understood as a criticism of the US approach, especially since the statement goes on to say that the US and all other members of the United Nations Security Council have a special responsibility to uphold these principles as pillars of the international security architecture. (sda/dpa/hkl)