Keir Starmer and Yvette Cooper are facing cross-party criticism for refusing to condemn Donald Trump's capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, as the prime minister seeks to balance international law with maintaining US relations.
Labour, Conservative, and Liberal Democrat MPs attacked the foreign secretary on Monday evening over the government's cautious response to the US raid, which has been widely questioned on legal grounds. Emily Thornberry, Labour chair of the foreign affairs select committee, said the abduction of a leader, however abhorrent, should be called out as a breach of international law.
Richard Burgon, a Labour MP, accused Starmer of disregarding the UN charter over Trump's actions, while Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey stated that Maduro's status as a brutal dictator does not give Trump a free pass for illegal action. Former Conservative foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt warned that failure to challenge US threats could endanger Nato, particularly over Greenland.
Cooper told the Commons she stressed the importance of international law in talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio but declined to label the US action illegal, saying Washington must set out its justification. Starmer said he wanted to establish the facts before passing judgment, though he robustly defended Denmark's sovereignty over Greenland after Trump's annexation suggestions.
Home Office minister Mike Tapp also faced criticism for refusing to directly criticise a US takeover of Greenland, stating that diplomacy is delicate and the government will not provide a running commentary.
