From the Foreign Office’s perspective, there was no good reason to be critical of Donald Trump if it risked provoking him to withdraw the painstakingly negotiated and fragile US agreement to participate in the Ukraine security guarantees. The guarantees are also the precondition for a negotiated settlement between Russia and Ukraine that Europe and Kyiv can swallow. Now, the Foreign Office is arguing that Venezuela must move to a democratic transition, and it is unrealistic to expect a government stuffed with the acolytes of Hugo Chávez to act as US puppets. The worry for the Foreign Office is that there is little sign so far that Trump or Rubio are much interested in the UK’s Latin American expertise. Many MPs of different politics believe the Foreign Office needs to reassess Trump in the second term and how he is best influenced.

Source: The Guardian January 06, 2026 20:18 UTC