German Vice Chancellor calls for U.S. to "respect international law"

BERLIN, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- German Vice Chancellor and Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil said on Sunday that U.S. intervention in Venezuela is "very worrying," stressing that international law must be respected.

"International law must be respected. That also applies to the actions of the U.S.," Klingbeil was quoted by German news agency DPA as saying.

Klingbeil, who also serves as co-leader of Germany's ruling Social Democratic Party (SPD), stressed the need to prevent any further escalation.

He called on all parties to "find the path to a peaceful transition to democracy in Venezuela," adding that the Venezuelan people must be able to decide their own future.

Earlier on Saturday, the United States launched a large-scale strike on Venezuela, during which Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were "captured and flown out of Venezuela," according to a post by U.S. President Donald Trump on his Truth Social account.