Silence on Venezuela - a wise strategy?

Plus: Berlin power cut + state coalition collapse

Dear Reader,

The US decision to abduct the leader of Venezuela, followed almost immediately by threats to take over Greenland, has once again opened up the debate about how Germany should act in the new, gloves-off world of international politics.

The response, it seems, is a confusing mixture of trying to reassure the public that things aren’t all that bad, while also sending unparalleled diplomatic warnings across the Atlantic.

Although the UN Charter is crystal clear on the use of force against another sovereign nation, Chancellor Friedrich Merz responded to the abduction of Nicolás Maduro by calling it “legally complex”.

“The legal classification of the US operation is complex,” he wrote on X (Twitter). “We are taking our time with this. International law remains the benchmark.”

Germany, he added, had not recognised Maduro as Venezuela’s rightful leader after he forged the results of the 2024 election, accusing him of having “dragged his country into ruin”.

Foreign Minister Johann Wadep…