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🇬🇧PM Keir #Starmer said he would wait for the press conference to respond to the Venezuela invasion. In that presser Trump announced the US will be running Venezuela, most likely with a military occupation, in order to extract its oil. Over to you Keir... davekeating.substack.com/p/a-day-that...

Full play-by-play of Trump's Venezuela invasion press conference here:

Now that it has been made clear that this isn't simply a leader kidnapping but actually a full-on invasion and occupation of a sovereign state, our European leaders who said they were "closely monitoring the situation" have apparently now gone into hiding.

Spain's PM Pedro Sanchez is 1st European leader to make a stronger statement following Trump's press conference where he said the US will run Venezuela and take its oil. Sanchez has been ostracised by other 🇪🇺 leaders for his past criticism of Trump. Will they listen to him now?

Even after watching Trump's press conference openly admitting 🇺🇸has invaded Venezuela in order to run it and take its oil, 🇫🇷President Macron has released a statement appearing to endorse US actions (as opposed to Le Pen who condemned 🇺🇸invasion). Where does this leave Europe's credibility on Ukraine?

OK we can see the way this is going. Sanchez is out in the political wilderness again in his wilingness to criticise Trump. Germany's chancellor apparently watched that press conference and decided it's "complex and requires careful consideration". They're all falling into line.

🇮🇹PM Meloni sounds same as Macron, Starmer & Merz in giving stamp of approval to 🇺🇸invasion of Venezuela (though she's going extra step pretending she believes absurd claim that this is about drug trafficking) Throughout Europe, only opposition figures are criticising 🇺🇸. Anyone in power is too scared

And here it is. Starmer's post-press-conference statement manages to be even more cowardly than his initial response. Vague call for international law to be respected. Ignores that it has *already been violated* this morning. No mention of US.

Just one issue. Not Europeans. Their governments. Ask people in the streets, and except people from far right, everybody is pissed with Von der Layen &Company. Also, many of the with their governments being veeery timids with this and other issues. Even in Germany.

Even varies by flavour of far right. The French one has been some of the most belligerent to this move across the European spectrum.

I saw it, and was like "woa, what the af?? Then I remembered that they are fond of Putin.

You do understand that they could end up trowing Ukraine under the bus if they come in too hot, right?

You do understand that the US is inevitably throwing Ukraine under the bus anyway, right?

Europe needs to start taking control of the international response to the Ukraine crisis. European-led peace talks, not counting on the US for arms deliveries.