2026-01-03 12:24, updated 2026-01-03 15:43
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2026-01-03 12:24
update
2026-01-03 15:43
The European Union has repeatedly declared that Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro has no legitimacy to govern and defended a peaceful transition, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Saturday after a conversation with US Secretary of State Mark Rubio.
Trump announced earlier on Saturday that the United States had successfully carried out a large-scale attack on Venezuela and that Maduro and his wife had been captured and taken out of the country.
On the X platform, Kallas noted that the safety of EU citizens staying in Venezuela is a priority for EU diplomacy. “The EU is closely monitoring the situation in (this country – PAP)” – she assured.
“The EU has repeatedly declared that Mr. Maduro has no legitimacy and defended a peaceful transition. The principles of international law and the Charter of the United Nations must be respected in all circumstances. We call for restraint,” stressed the EU High Representative for EU Foreign and Defense Affairs.
Kallas said she discussed the situation in Venezuela with her American counterpart, Secretary of State Mark Rubio.
The head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, also issued statements on the situation in Venezuela.
Only the head of the European Council, who comes from Portugal, expressed concern about the events in this country. Neither Costa nor von der Leyen repeated Kallas' declaration that Maduro has no right to power.
The European Union calls for de-escalation and resolution of the conflict in full respect of international law and the principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter, wrote the head of the European Council on Platform X. He added that the EU will continue to support a peaceful, democratic and inclusive solution in Venezuela.
“We are closely monitoring the situation in Venezuela,” von der Leyen said. “We support the Venezuelan people and their peaceful and democratic transformation. Any solution must be consistent with international law and the United Nations Charter,” she emphasized.
Costa and von der Leyen indicated that they support Kallas' efforts to help EU citizens living in Venezuela.
Spanish general for PAP: Maduro's fall may be the beginning of the end of politicians supporting him in the EU
Saturday's US attack on Venezuela may contribute to ending the careers of European Union politicians who have supported Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro for years, said retired Spanish general Vicente Diaz de Villegas in an interview with PAP.
– If it turns out that Nicolas Maduro was actually killed or captured as a result of the American attack, we can talk about the beginning of the end of the communist regime in Venezuela – said Diaz de Villegas, recalling that this system was started by Maduro's predecessor as president, Hugo Chavez.
The general expressed his opinion that the latest events in Venezuela should have consequences in the European Union. There are politicians in Europe who have supported the regime in Caracas for years, maintaining good relations with Maduro, “and even supporting him,” he said, adding that he was especially referring to politicians from left-wing groups.
In this group, Diaz de Villegas mentioned, above all, former Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero. He estimated that the current head of government in Madrid, Pedro Sanchez, was also close to the Venezuelan president.
– However, it is difficult to predict at the moment whether the end of the careers of Maduro's European allies will occur in a short time – he noted.
Diaz de Villegas, who in the past led NATO peacekeeping missions, including: in the Balkans and Africa, noted the prevailing uncertainty related to the situation in Venezuela, which “may become dynamic in the coming hours.”
Marcin Zatyka (PAP)
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