Ukraine has announced it recognizes opposition leader Juan Guaido as Venezuela's legitimate head of state.
"Ukraine recognizes Juan Guaido as head of Venezuela's democratically elected government, the National Assembly, and leader of the democratic opposition," Press Secretary of Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Kateryna Zelenko has said in a statement.
Read alsoMFA: Ukraine supports people of Venezuela in bid for democracy
"Therefore, the return to democratic governance in the country depends on him and other Venezuelan political leaders, in particular by reaching agreements on democratic elections, which shall be confirmed by international observers," Zelenko said.
Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on the leaders of the political forces of Venezuela to hold democratic elections and not to settle the political crisis with the use of force.
"Ukraine calls to do everything possible to prevent the use of force to resolve the political crisis and, as a result, to address an economic disaster that is already causing humanitarian problems and makes the Venezuelan people suffer," she said.
According to Reuters, major European nations joined the United States on Monday, February 4, in recognizing Guaido as Venezuela's legitimate head of state, as a separate regional bloc met in Canada to pressure socialist President Nicolas Maduro.
The coordinated move by 11 nations including Britain, Germany, France, Spain and seven more European Union members followed the expiration of an ultimatum for Maduro to call a new presidential election, aligning them with Washington and against Russia and China.
