Hungary says EU statement on Venezuela exposes 'deep crisis' in bloc’s foreign policy

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - Hungary’s minister for European Union affairs on Monday denounced an EU statement on Venezuela, saying it reveals "the deep crisis" in the bloc’s common foreign policy.

"Beyond expressing vague wishes, the EU has no real message or strategy for the region and is unable to define its interests in the new era of great-power politics," Janos Boka said in a statement shared by government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs through US social media company X.

Boka said the statement issued Sunday by EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas on Venezuela "clearly exposes the deep crisis of the EU’s common foreign policy."

EU member states except Hungary on Sunday called for calm and restraint, urging respect for international law after the recent US military action in Venezuela.

"The EU recalls that, under all circumstances, the principles of international law and the UN Charter must be upheld," read a joint statement issued by Kallas.

The Hungarian minister said that lacking both tools and influence, the EU has so far "failed to become a meaningful actor — and no change is in sight."

"Kaja Kallas’s statement is a sign of weakness and a fundamental misunderstanding of the transformation of international relations," he said.

He also said that the Hungarian government is "doing its job," taking all necessary steps to ensure the safety of Hungarian citizens in Venezuela, safeguarding Hungary’s energy supply, and closely monitoring developments on the ground.

Pursuing a different course from the EU, including on major issues such as Ukraine and migration, Prime Minister Viktor Orban-led Hungarian government has consistently criticized the bloc’s foreign policy.

The EU statement came after US President Donald Trump said the US military action on Venezuela resulted in the capture of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, also pledging to assert American control over the country for the time being, with US troops if necessary.

Maduro and Flores landed in New York late Saturday and were held at a detention center in Brooklyn as they are set to appear before a New York court to face US federal charges tied to drug trafficking and alleged cooperation with gangs designated as terrorist organizations.

Maduro has denied the accusations, and officials in Venezuela’s capital Caracas have called for the couple’s release.