Following President-elect Donald Trump’s sweeping victory in the U.S. presidential elections on Tuesday, several leaders from countries around the world offered their responses — some more congratulatory in nature than others.
Trump made a historical comeback from his loss in 2020 and swept the electoral vote by at least a 277-224 margin, while also taking the popular vote by nearly five million votes, according to multiple reports. World leaders were closely watching the election — as Harris’ and Trump’s approach to foreign policy varies widely — and offered compliments on his victory, while other nations typically considered American adversaries seemed to take a more muted and cautionary tone.
“Italy and the United States are ‘sister’ nations, linked by an unshakable alliance, common values, and a historic friendship,” Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said in a statement on Wednesday. “It is a strategic bond, which I am sure we will now strengthen even further.”
“Congratulations on history’s greatest comeback!” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday.
“The future of the [South Korea]-U.S. alliance and America will shine brighter. Look forward to working closely with you,” South Korean Prime Minister Toon Suk Yeol said on Wednesday.
Other world leaders that Trump differs from vastly on politics — including Canada and the U.K. — also offered compliments to Trump on his win, even as Trump has publicly criticized their left-wing policies.
“I know President Trump and I will work together to create more opportunity, prosperity, and security for both of our nations,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Wednesday.
Most European Union (EU) nations applauded Trump’s victory, though some countries signaled that Europe needs to be ready to rely more closely on itself. Trump’s “America First” approach has been popular among swaths of the American electorate but has left some European countries nervous that Trump may take a different approach than President Joe Biden’s seemingly no-holds-barred relationship with Europe in recent years.
During his first term, Trump had a sometimes tense relationship with some European countries, as he felt that they contributed to the U.S.’ global trade imbalance and weren’t paying enough to be part of the NATO alliance. Trump on multiple occasions has threatened to pull the U.S. out of NATO unless European countries pay their agreed share.
Trump’s threat was successful — a higher number of NATO allies met their defense spending goals at the end of his term than at the beginning.
“The European Union must stand close together and act in a united manner,” Scholz told reporters on Wednesday, noting that he and Macron were working closely with other European partners.
China offered few remarks on Trump’s win, while other adversaries such as Iran and North Korea have yet to publicly comment on the matter, although Tehran has made it clear it does not want another Trump term. Chinese officials have reportedly feared the policies of another Trump term compared to a Harris presidency and actively interfered in this year’s elections.
“We respect the choice of the American people and congratulate Mr. Trump on being elected as president of the United States,” a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Wednesday.
Russia’s message on the election appeared more veiled and hostile. Russian President Vladimir Putin does apparently not plan to offer any congratulations to Trump, Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov told reporters on Wednesday, arguing that the U.S. is “an unfriendly country that is both directly and indirectly involved in the war against our state.”
“We have repeatedly said that the U.S. is able to contribute to the end of this conflict. This cannot be done overnight, but… the U.S. is capable of changing the trajectory of its foreign policy. Will this happen, and if so, how … we will see after (the U.S. president’s inauguration in) January,” Peskov said.
Russia has waged war against Ukraine since 2022 and has dragged the U.S. and Europe deeper and deeper into the conflict. Biden has failed to significantly alter the course of the war; Trump has vowed that he could strike a peace settlement between Russia and Ukraine by the time he reaches office in January.
Similarly, Trump has promised that the ongoing conflict in the Middle East — which was borne out of Hamas’ invasion on Oct. 7, 2023 — by the time he takes office in January, warning that he will treat Iran far more harshly than Biden has and will impose sanctions to ensure Tehran cannot build its funding reserves. Trump spoke to Netanyahu in July and reportedly told him that the war in Gaza needs to end by January, potentially in a bid to reestablish some norms between the Israelis and the Palestinians.
On China, Trump has promised fair competition but warned that he will impose stricter tariffs in a bid to balance the trade deficit, encourage Americans to buy more domestic goods and compel China to import more American products.
(Featured Image Media Credit: Screen Capture/CSPAN)
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