"This war is illegal" These are the first reactions to Trump's attack on Venezuela

The US attack on Venezuela has provoked some harsh international criticism. The legality of Trump's actions is also being questioned in the USA - by Democrats and Republicans alike.

The US has carried out a large-scale military attack on Venezuela and, according to US President Donald Trump, ousted the country's head of state Nicolás Maduro. The US attacks and the capture of head of state Maduro are being viewed differently around the world. These are the reactions:

According to media reports, a Senate committee responsible for military affairs was not informed in advance about the US attack on Venezuela. Representatives of US President Donald Trump's administration saw no need for this, reported US broadcaster CNN, citing a source familiar with the matter. Some members of Congress, on the other hand, had insisted on being informed before military action was taken.

Democrats are stunned by Trump's unauthorized attack on Venezuela. They describe the Trump administration's actions as illegal. Republicans are also critical of the legality of the US President's actions.

The Democratic Senator from Arizona, Ruben Gallego, wrote on the short message service X: "This war is illegal. It is shameful that we have gone from being the world's policeman to the world's bully. There is no reason why we should be at war with Venezuela".

A party colleague of US President Donald Trump, Republican Senator Mike Lee of Utah, also raised doubts: "I am eager to learn what, if anything, could constitutionally justify this action, given the lack of a declaration of war or authorization to use military force."

Russia has condemned the US military attack on Venezuela in no uncertain terms. The action was "deeply disturbing and reprehensible", declared the Russian Foreign Ministry in Moscow on Saturday. There was no justification for this "armed aggression". "Ideological hostility has triumphed over objective pragmatism", the ministry's statement from Moscow continued.

Maduro was not mentioned in the Russian Foreign Ministry's statement, even though Moscow once again expressed its "solidarity with the Venezuelan people". Venezuela is Russia's most important ally in South America, but Moscow had no longer assured the country of support in the event of a US attack.

Iran has strongly condemned the US attacks on Venezuela. "The US military intervention against an independent state and member of the United Nations is a clear violation of the principles of the UN Charter and the basic rules of international law," the foreign ministry said, according to the state news agency Irna. This "aggressive act" must be condemned immediately and unequivocally, the ministry added.

Cuba's President Miguel Díaz-Canel has condemned the military strikes in Venezuela as a "criminal US attack" on the allied South American country. "Our peace zone is being brutally attacked", wrote the president of the socialist Caribbean state on X. Díaz-Canel called on the international community to respond urgently. It is a case of "state terror against the courageous Venezuelan people and against our America".

Argentina's President Javier Milei celebrates the arrest of Venezuela's head of state Nicolás Maduro announced by the USA. "THE FREEDOM IS FORWARD, LIVE THE FREEDOM DAMN IT AGAIN", the ultra-liberal politician wrote on X in capital letters to a news report he shared on the platform.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has condemned the US military's attack on Venezuela and the arrest of authoritarian President Nicolás Maduro. "The bombing of Venezuelan territory and the capture of its president cross an unacceptable line," the left-wing politician wrote on the news platform X. "These actions represent a serious violation of Venezuela's sovereignty and are another extremely dangerous precedent for the entire international community."

Colombia's President Gustavo Petro, a major critic of US President Donald Trump, said he would call on the UN Security Council to address what he described as "aggression against the sovereignty of Venezuela and Latin America". "Without sovereignty, there is no nation", Petro announced on social media.

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas has called for respect for international law following the US attack on Venezuela. "Under all circumstances, the principles of international law and the United Nations Charter must be respected. We call for restraint", Kallas wrote on X. According to her own account, she had previously spoken to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the phone.

The European Union is closely monitoring the situation in Venezuela, according to Kallas' post. The EU has repeatedly stated that Maduro lacks legitimacy and has spoken out in favor of a peaceful transition. "The safety of EU citizens in this country is our top priority," added the Estonian politician.

Spain has called for moderation in view of the US attacks in Venezuela and the announcement of the capture of President Nicolás Maduro. International law and the UN Charter must be respected, according to an initial statement by the Spanish Foreign Ministry on the situation in the South American country.

At the same time, the left-wing government in Madrid offered its help to "achieve a peaceful and negotiated solution to the current crisis". The Foreign Ministry is monitoring the situation in Venezuela and in coordination with its partners in the EU and the countries of the region, the statement continued.

German government expresses concern

The German government has expressed concern about the US military deployment in Venezuela. "We are monitoring the situation in Venezuela very closely and are following the current reports with great concern," said the Foreign Office in Berlin on Saturday. The situation in the South American country "is currently still unclear in parts". The Foreign Ministry is "in close contact with the embassy in Caracas". The Federal Government's crisis team will meet at the Ministry.

CDU foreign policy expert Roderich Kiesewetter condemned the US action as a "coup". "With President Trump, the USA is finally abandoning the rules-based order that has shaped us since 1945," he told Bild. "Venezuela may be an unjust state, but it is not an Iran that threatens the existence of neighboring countries such as Israel." Washington is returning to the US doctrine from before 1940 - "thinking in terms of zones of influence in which the law of the strongest applies and not international law".

"Anyone who breaks international law like Trump and has presidents kidnapped is engaging in brutal state terrorism," said Jan van Aken, leader of the Left Party, to the portal t-online. He called for sanctions like those against Russia and its President Vladimir Putin because of his war of aggression against Ukraine. "Whoever sanctions Putin must also sanction Trump."

Article with material from Keystone-SDA, dpa and AFP.