“No-one will take seriously a weak and divided Europe: neither enemy nor ally. It is already clear now. We must finally believe in our own strength, we must continue to arm ourselves, we must stay united like never before. One for all, and all for one. Otherwise, we are finished,” Prime Minister Donald Tusk of Poland said on Monday, 5 January, via social media, posting in English.
The head of the Polish government issued the statement in response to recent international developments.
Two days ago, the United States conducted a military operation in Venezuela, capturing President Nicolás Maduro, who is to face charges in the US.
Following the intervention, 26 EU member states - Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden - almost all except Hungary, issued a joint statement through the EU’s High Representative.
EU calls for calm and respect for international law after US captures Maduro
In the statement, the EU called for “calm and restraint by all actors, to avoid escalation and to ensure a peaceful solution to the crisis,” and emphasised that “under all circumstances, the principles of international law and the UN Charter must be upheld. Members of the United Nations Security Council have a particular responsibility to uphold those principles, as a pillar of the international security architecture.”
The EU reiterated that Nicolás Maduro “lacks the legitimacy of a democratically elected president” and underlined that “the right of the Venezuelan people to determine their future must be respected” as the only way to restore democracy in the country.
The statement also stressed that challenges such as transnational organised crime and drug trafficking “must be addressed through sustained cooperation in full respect of international law and the principles of territorial integrity and sovereignty.”
The EU confirmed it is “in close contact with the United States, as well as regional and international partners to support and facilitate dialogue with all parties involved, leading to a negotiated, democratic, inclusive and peaceful solution to the crisis, led by Venezuelans.”
It also stressed that “all actors [must – ed.] fully respect human rights and international humanitarian law. All political prisoners currently detained in Venezuela must be unconditionally released.”
Finally, the statement noted that consular authorities of EU member states are “working in close coordination in order to protect the safety of EU citizens, including those illegally detained in Venezuela.”
(mp)
Source: Polish Radio English Service/IAR/X/@donaldtusk/@kajakallas/The Diplomatic Service of the European Union