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The Trump administration's capture of Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro is getting mixed reviews on the world stage as country leaders start coming forward since the Jan. 3 attack.

China was among several countries that condemned U.S. actions, though other nations responded with messages of support or appeared to struggle to find the right words to describe the unusual use of force against a sovereign country and its president.

Speaking in Beijing on Jan. 5, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi accused the United States of behaving like a 'world judge' by seizing Venezuela's leader and putting him on trial in New York.

'The sovereignty and security of all countries should be fully protected under international law,' Wang added.

China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a separate press briefing on Jan. 5 that China was still maintaining 'positive communication and cooperation” with the Venezuelan government.

In Moscow, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said Maduro’s capture represented an 'unacceptable encroachment on the sovereignty of an independent state” and accused the United States of committing 'an act of armed aggression.'

There was also a strong rebuke from Iran, where Trump had also threatened to intervene if Tehran's authorities kill additional protesters who had taken to the streets in recent nationwide demonstrations. Iran called the U.S. operation, which saw Maduro and his wife seized, blindfolded and sent by ship to New York to face narco-terrorism charges, a 'flagrant violation of the country's national sovereignty.'

Maduro pleaded 'not guilty' in federal court on Jan. 5 on U.S. drug trafficking charges.

Many Latin American leaders also criticized the operation against Venezuela.

'We express our deep concern and rejection of the military actions carried out unilaterally in the territory of Venezuela, which contravene fundamental principles of international law,' Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Uruguay said in a joint statement. 'Such actions set an extremely dangerous precedent for regional peace and security and for the rules-based international order, in addition to endangering the civilian population.'

The U.S. seizure of Maduro and his wife has raised thorny legal questions about whether it violated international laws that govern the use of force against another country and its leadership.

Still, there was also what appeared to be strong backing for the operation.

Argentinian President Javier Milei, a close ally of Trump, wrote on social media that 'freedom moves forward' and 'long live freedom.' And in Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated Trump for what he described as his 'bold and historic leadership on behalf of freedom and justice.'

'I salute your decisive resolve and the brilliant action of your brave soldiers,' Netanyahu said.

European leaders seemed to avoid committing themselves to one side or another and used more ambiguous language.

'I want to establish the facts first. I want to speak to President Trump. I want to speak to allies,' British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a statement. 'I always say and believe we should all uphold international law.'

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the legal assessment of the U.S. operation was complex and 'we will take our time' to evaluate it.

'A transition to a government legitimized by elections must be ensured,' he said.

Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, writing on the social media platform X, said that his country 'did not recognize the Maduro regime. But neither will it recognize an intervention that violates international law and pushes the region toward a horizon of uncertainty and belligerence.'

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