Why Cooper Stayed Silent On Maduro — And What It Means

Yvette Cooper’s reluctance to say whether the seizure of Nicolás Maduro broke international law looked puzzling — until you follow the diplomatic trail to Paris. A high-stakes meeting was due the next day where the UK needed Washington’s fragile commitment on Ukraine more than it needed to publicly rebuke the US. Behind the scenes, a draft joint statement for a “coalition of the willing” reportedly relied on the US offering binding security guarantees to Ukraine if Russia attacks again. From the Foreign Office’s view, that pledge only had teeth if the United States stayed on board. Any public criticism of Donald Trump or US officials could have prompted Washington to pull out, wrecking months of delicate military-level negotiations meant to be an alternative to Ukraine joining NATO. British diplomats feared losing that US buy-in. American figures such as Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff were in Paris as symbols of the US role, after a controversial 28-point plan from Witkoff had been leaked in November. The source credited Marco Rubio — described there as the US secretary of state and national security adviser — with coaxing Trump back toward offering future protection to Ukraine. Because Rubio was also tied to the Maduro operation, Whitehall officials judged it unwise to publicise legal objections to the Venezuelan raid. Officials argue the UK did not recognise Maduro’s government and that, by the time London was informed, his removal was already done. The UK had reportedly stopped sharing intelligence with the US about attacks on Venezuelan drug boats. Cooper, according to parliamentary exchanges, signalled privately that she had pressed US interlocutors to respect international law and has been trying to keep the UK involved in planning Venezuela’s next steps. London is also framing its stance through history and principle. The UK’s ties to Venezuela stretch back to the early 19th century, when it was a major supporter of Simón Bolívar. Today the Foreign Office says Caracas needs a democratic transition supported by the people, not a government imposed from outside. Cooper has highlighted the UK chargé d’affaires in Caracas, Colin Dick, as someone who understands opposition figures including María Corina Machado. But the episode has exposed wider anxieties: ministers and MPs worry that the special relationship no longer rests on shared values and that Washington’s unilateral moves are harder to influence. With a second Trump term seen as unpredictable — favouring quick strikes over long alliances and showing a taste for forceful gestures — some in Westminster think Britain must reconsider how it secures influence, and how much risk it will accept to defend the rules-based order it once helped shape. --- Managing your business finances? TaxAce provides smart online accountancy services for UK businesses with flexible monthly plans. Image and reporting: https://www.theguardian.com | Read original article