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DDonald Trump’s military actions Capture the President of Venezuelawith a view to trying him in the United States Drug-related and other crimesintroducing European leaders – and Sir Keir Starmer More of a dilemma than most.
on the one hand, Removing President Nicolás Maduro There are saving graces: He came to power in a clearly rigged election, and his widespread mismanagement impoverished a supposedly wealthy country. oil wealth. On the other hand, the manner in which he was deported clearly violated almost every principle that Europeans profess to cherish, starting with respect for national sovereignty.
There are also elements of shock and surprise. This is not just Venezuela That was kept in the dark. The operation appears to have been prepared and launched by the United States without any mention of its allies, which makes Europeans step asideunsure of what to say, stuck. Initial statements were limited to the need to monitor the situation and ensure the safety of Venezuela’s own nationals.
But the dilemma faced by the British government and Prime Minister Sir Keir is more serious than that of most other European leaders. This is not only because “Special relationship” Britain insists it still enjoys a relationship with the United States, but due to additional political and diplomatic investment Successive UK governments have worked on this relationship since the UK left the EU.
Of course, if Britain’s move to the United States coincided with two terms of a president, this might be seen as unusually unfortunate. Commitment to European Allies It seems far less than his pursuit of a new era of American hegemony in the Americas. It doesn’t help that the president’s policymaking often appears erratic. But national leaders are measured by how they respond to unpredictable circumstances, and Sir Keir’s initial response fell short.
First there was silence, then a disclaimer – “All I can say is, Britain was not involved in any way on this operation” – and then ask for more time” establish all factsA more confident prime minister – that is, more confident in the resilience of the “special relationship” and his own judgment – might not be deterred from simply defending the principle of national sovereignty, especially given that the United States has boasted of capturing Venezuela’s president by force.
Perhaps the most eloquent expression of weakness, however, was Sir Keir’s admission that he was waiting – indeed, so were we all – for Trump to announce a press conference to find out exactly what was going on. Even if that’s true, and he doesn’t have a hotline to reach his closest ally at this point, or that ally isn’t picking up at all, it’s best not to publicize that fact.
The response from the EU and individual European leaders has been only slightly more convincing than that of the UK. However, they do enjoy the advantage of not claiming any special relationship with the United States and not cozying up to Donald Trump to the same extent. Indeed, in France and elsewhere, it has been left to the far right to straddle the divide between cheering Mr. Downfall. Maduro and attacks the United States for violating basic principles international law. Embarrassingly, it took an embarrassingly long time for Germany and France — and the UK — to come to a seemingly coordinated statement that passed no judgment on the action itself while expressing hope for a better future for Venezuela. indeed.
There are certainly those who believe that Europe’s joint response might have been faster, stronger and more effective had the UK remained a member of the EU. Although UK ministers insist that the country has left the EU, but not yet Europe, it’s hard not to conclude that: Brexit Leaving the UK more vulnerable than otherwise to the cold winds of US unilateralism.
It might also be a prism through which to see a strange little coda to events in Venezuela: UK and France join forces to fight Islamic State Syrian repository. Is the timing just coincidence, or does this operation send a message to our transatlantic friends that while two major European allies may have misgivings about Venezuela operations, they are still useful?
Not wanting to alienate an ally appears to be just one factor in the UK-US-EU triangle that the UK has been grappling with since Brexit and which it may now be looking to adjust in the coming year.
A clear and entirely welcome theme emerges in Prime Minister’s New Year BBC Interview He wants closer ties with the EU, including a closer Alignment with the EU single marketalthough it has not yet been achieved – the idea of eliminating – Rejoin the customs union.
If the costs of Brexit are ultimately absorbed, and Venezuela helps underscore that a tilt toward the United States is not the answer, 2026 might not be a bad place for this government to start.