European conservatives are split over U.S. President Donald Trump’s military intervention in Venezuela, with reactions ranging from strong condemnation on sovereignty grounds to cautious approval.

The divisions were most visible in France, where National Rally grandee Marine Le Pen broke with several allies to denounce Washington’s actions, warning that endorsing externally imposed regime change would set a dangerous precedent for all nations.

In a social media post, Le Pen acknowledged that while condemnation of Nicolas Maduro’s dictatorship was entirely justified, overthrowing his regime by force was the wrong move. She warned of the “mortal peril” posed by abandoning the principle of state sovereignty.

“There were a thousand reasons to condemn the regime of Nicolas Maduro: communist, oligarchic and authoritarian, it had been imposing a pall of oppression on its people for far too many years, plunging millions of Venezuelans into misery – when it did not force them into exile,” Le Pen wrote. “But there is a fundamental reason to oppose the regime change that the United States has just brought about in Venezuela. The sovereignty of states is never negotiable, regardless of their size, their power, or their continent. It is inviolable and sacred.

Il existait mille raisons de condamner le régime de Nicolas Maduro : communiste, oligarchique et autoritaire, il faisait peser sur son peuple, depuis de trop longues années, une chape de plomb qui a plongé des millions de Vénézuéliens dans la misère – quand il ne les contraignait…

— Marine Le Pen (@MLP_officiel) January 3, 2026

“To renounce this principle today for Venezuela, for any state, would be tantamount to accepting our own servitude tomorrow,” she added. “This would be a mortal peril, especially as the 21st century is already witnessing major geopolitical upheavals that cast a permanent shadow of war and chaos over humanity.”

Le Pen said she hoped “that the Venezuelan people will be given a voice as soon as possible,” arguing that “it is they who must have the power to define, sovereignly and freely, the future they wish to create for themselves as a nation.”

Her stance contrasted with the more cautious response of National Rally president Jordan Bardella, who avoided direct criticism of Trump. “The external overthrow of a government by force cannot be considered an acceptable response,” Bardella said, without naming the United States.

Nicolas Maduro on board the USS Iwo Jima. pic.twitter.com/omF2UpDJhA

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 3, 2026

Other figures on the French right were openly supportive of the intervention. Eric Ciotti, a Le Pen ally, welcomed what he described as “good news” for Venezuelans, while Reconquête leader Éric Zemmour dismissed sovereignty-based objections altogether. “There’s no point in jumping up and down shouting ‘sovereignty,'” Zemmour wrote. “The duty of a statesperson is to make their country strong so that it will not be the one attacked.”

France’s centrist government also struggled to present a unified position. President Emmanuel Macron welcomed Maduro’s removal, writing that “the Venezuelan people are today rid of Nicolás Maduro’s dictatorship and can only rejoice.” He called for a “peaceful, democratic, and respectful” transition and expressed hope that opposition leader Edmundo González Urrutia, who many consider to be the legitimate president-elect of Venezuela following the 2024 presidential election, could oversee it.

Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, however, condemned the operation on legal grounds. “The military operation that led to the capture of Nicolás Maduro violates the principle of non-use of force, which underpins international law,” Barrot said, warning that repeated violations of this principle, particularly by permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, would have “serious consequences for global security.”

Elsewhere in Europe, conservative leaders offered more qualified responses. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said Italy had never recognized Maduro’s electoral victory in 2024 and supported a democratic transition, but insisted that “external military action is not the path to end totalitarian regimes.” She nonetheless argued that “defensive intervention” could be legitimate in response to hybrid threats such as drug trafficking.

The American actions in Venezuela overnight are unorthodox and contrary to international law — but if they make China and Russia think twice, it may be a good thing.

I hope the Venezuelan people can now turn a new leaf without Maduro.

— Nigel Farage MP (@Nigel_Farage) January 3, 2026

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage described the U.S. operation as “unorthodox and contrary to international law,” but said that “if they make China and Russia think twice, it may be a good thing.” The Hungarian government said it was monitoring developments but declined to state a position, confirming only that no Hungarian citizens were involved.

The New York Times reported on Sunday that at least 40 people were killed during the U.S. operation, including both soldiers and civilians, citing a Venezuelan source. Trump insisted there were no American casualties, though he acknowledged damage to military equipment. He later warned Venezuelan interim President Delcy Rodríguez that she would “pay” if she refused to cooperate with Washington. “If she doesn’t do the right thing, she’s going to pay a very high price, probably even more than Maduro,” Trump said in a phone interview with The Atlantic.

On Jan. 3, Venezuela’s Supreme Court appointed Rodríguez as interim head of state following the capture of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, by U.S. special forces in Caracas. The United States has said it intends to prosecute Maduro on charges of “narco-terrorism,” accusing him of flooding the United States with drugs from the South American nation.

Trump has said Washington will assume interim control of Venezuela until a “safe, orderly, and sound transition of power” is achieved.