Why won’t Yvette Cooper criticise Trump over Venezuela? Look no further than Ukraine

<p>The foreign secretary faces a tight balancing act between keeping the US involved in peace talks, and trying to maintain international order </p><p>Anyone trying to understand why Yvette Cooper studiously avoided saying whether the UK viewed <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/04/tactical-surprise-and-air-dominance-how-the-us-snatched-maduro-in-two-and-a-half-hours">the kidnapping of Nicolás Maduro</a> as a breach of international law only needs to look to what was planned in Paris a day later.</p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/05/mps-across-parties-criticise-ministers-for-stance-on-trump-attack-on-venezuela">After the foreign secretary’s 90-minute humiliation in the House of Commons</a> on Monday night, a joint statement was expected in the French capital by the coalition of the willing – and a draft included the US promising binding security guarantees to protect Ukraine in the event of a further Russian attack.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/06/yvette-cooper-criticise-trump-venezuela-ukraine">Continue reading...</a>