MPs from Labour, Conservative, and Liberal Democrat parties have criticised UK ministers for refusing to condemn Donald Trump's attack on Venezuela, amid concerns that the government's cautious response could embolden China and Russia. Keir Starmer and Yvette Cooper have been reluctant to comment on the legality of the US capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, prompting a backlash in the House of Commons.
Emily Thornberry, Labour chair of the foreign affairs select committee, said the abduction of a leader, however abhorrent, was a breach of international law that should be called out by Britain and its allies. Richard Burgon, a Labour MP, accused the prime minister of disregarding the UN charter over the bombing and kidnapping of a head of state. Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey stated that Maduro's brutality did not give Trump a free pass for illegal action.
Former Conservative foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt warned that the entire future of NATO could be at risk if allies failed to face down US threats to annex Greenland. He questioned the Foreign Office's planning to prevent such a disaster, noting that Europe appeared weak and divided. Hunt's comments followed Home Office minister Mike Tapp's refusal to criticise the idea of a US takeover of Greenland, citing diplomatic sensitivity.
Starmer said he wanted to establish the facts before judging whether Trump broke international law, but he robustly defended Denmark's sovereignty over Greenland. Cooper told the Commons she stressed the importance of international law in her conversation with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio but declined to label the US action as illegal, saying it was for Washington to justify its actions.
