UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer declined to give a direct answer to a question about how he distinguishes between Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the US military operation against Venezuela.
The exchange followed a question from a BBC journalist: “You have repeatedly and unequivocally said that Vladimir Putin’s attack on sovereign Ukraine was wrong. What about President Trump’s attack on sovereign Venezuela?”
In response, Starmer cited a lack of information, noting that the situation was evolving rapidly and that much remained unclear at this stage. That, he said, was why he preferred to wait for greater clarity before offering judgments.
The British prime minister also reiterated his commitment to international law but stressed that he was not prepared to draw conclusions without a full picture of events and an understanding of their potential consequences. He noted that the UK had not taken part in the operation and added that he intended to discuss the matter with US President Donald Trump and allied partners. Starmer insisted that he was not evading the question, but argued that it was first necessary to establish the facts—which, in his words, are currently insufficient to determine the consequences of the actions taken.
At the previous day’s UN Security Council meeting, only the United Kingdom and Israel expressed open support for the US position.