Making the first official government statement on the issue to Parliament, Cooper confirmed she had raised the issue of international law on a call with Trump’s lead on foreign affairs.
“In my discussions with Secretary Rubio, I raised the importance of complying with international law and we will continue to urge all partners to do so,” she said.
“It is, of course, for the US to set out the legal basis for their actions and the UN Security Council is discussing Venezuela this afternoon. These issues will continue to be matters for international discussion.”
Cooper added she had also spoken with Rubio about the role the UK could play in supporting a peaceful democratic transition that respected the will of the Venezuelan people.
Responding, Badenoch asked if the prime minister had spoken to Trump, saying: “I ask this because the government talks up its relationship with the US, but we keep finding we’re not in the room when big decisions are made”.
She said the Conservatives understood Trump’s actions and accused the government of being too distant from its “closest security partner”.
“We must work with them seriously, not snipe from the sidelines,” she said.
“We on this side of the House understand why the US has taken this action. As the foreign secretary said, UK policy has long been to press for a peaceful transition from authoritarian rule to a democracy. That never happened.
“Instead, Venezuelans have been living under Maduro’s brutal regime for many years. The US has made it clear it is acting in its national interest against drug smuggling and other criminal activity, including potential terrorism.”
The Conservative leader added she was concerned about the precedent set by Trump’s actions in Venezuela, and said the “rules-based order” should be protected.
However, Labour backbenchers and other opposition parties including the Liberal Democrats and the SNP continued to pile on pressure for the government to explicitly condemn Trump’s actions.