The European Union (EU) on Sunday urged all parties to show "calm and restraint" to prevent further escalation and to seek a peaceful solution to the crisis in Venezuela, following the U.S. military action against Venezuela.

In a statement issued by the EU's High Representative, the bloc said the principles of international law and the UN Charter "must be upheld" under all circumstances, adding that members of the UN Security Council have a particular responsibility to defend those principles.

The EU said in the statement that it supports a Venezuelan-led, sovereign transition to democracy, stressing that "the right of the Venezuelan people to determine their future must be respected."

While acknowledging the priority of combating transnational organized crime and drug trafficking, the EU stressed that these challenges must be addressed through sustained cooperation "in full respect of international law" and the principles of territorial integrity and sovereignty.

The bloc said it was in close contact with the United States and with regional and international partners to support dialogue among all parties aimed at a negotiated, democratic, inclusive and peaceful solution led by Venezuelans.

The statement was backed by 26 EU member states, all except Hungary, according to the text released by the European External Action Service.

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.