Reactions to US attack
Russia demands release of Venezuela’s ruler
Updated on January 3, 2026 – 9:54 p.mReading time: 5 minutes
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The US attack on Venezuela and the capture of ruler Maduro are triggering mixed reactions internationally. An overview.
After the US attack on Venezuela and the capture of ruler Nicolás Maduro, international politics is reacting to the events in the South American country. In addition to parliamentarians from the USA, several countries have also commented on the Trump administration’s military strike.
According to US information, Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores are on the warship Iwo Jima. According to US Attorney General Pam Bondi, they will be charged in New York. Maduro is accused, among other things, of crimes related to drug trafficking, Bondi said on the X platform. According to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, there will be no further attacks on Venezuela.
Several US parliamentarians have expressed clear doubts about the legality of the action. Arizona Democratic Senator Ruben Gallego wrote on short message service
Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah also expressed doubts: “I look forward to learning what, if anything, could constitutionally justify this action, given the lack of a declaration of war or authorization for the use of military force.”
Russia has called on the US to release captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife. “We urge the American leadership to reconsider its position and release the legally elected president of the sovereign country and his wife,” the Foreign Ministry in Moscow said on Saturday.
The US actions are “deeply disturbing and reprehensible”. There is no justification for this “armed aggression”. “Ideological hostility has triumphed over objective pragmatism,” the ministry’s statement from Moscow continued. Venezuela has the right to “determine its own future without destructive, let alone military, interference from outside.” Russia also supports Venezuela’s authorities in calling for an immediate meeting of the UN Security Council.
