MPs from Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties have attacked UK ministers over their refusal to criticise the US capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Keir Starmer and Yvette Cooper have been reluctant to comment on the legality of the raid, prompting concerns that the UK's stance emboldens China and Russia.
In the Commons on Monday, Labour MP Emily Thornberry said the abduction of a leader by a powerful country should be called out as a breach of international law. Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey echoed this, stating that while Maduro is a brutal dictator, that does not give President Trump a free pass for illegal action.
Former Conservative foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt warned that if the US approach extends to annexing Greenland, it could end NATO. He questioned how much planning the Foreign Office is doing to prevent such a disaster.
Cooper told the Commons she stressed international law with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio but declined to say whether she views the US action as illegal. Starmer said he wants to establish the facts before passing judgment on the raid.
The Prime Minister did defend Denmark over Greenland, stressing that its future is for Denmark and Greenland alone. This came after Home Office minister Mike Tapp refused to directly criticise the idea of a US takeover.
