International leaders react to Trump victory | WORLD
Logo
Sound journalism, grounded in facts and Biblical truth | Donate

International leaders react to Trump victory


Former President Donald Trump speaks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in 2017. Associated Press/Photo by Evan Vucci

International leaders react to Trump victory

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on Wednesday congratulated Trump and said his leadership will be important to strengthen their respective alliances. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu likewise congratulated former President Donald Trump on his return to the White House. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy looked forward to working with Trump to end Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. Meanwhile, other leaders from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, and India also released statements to cheer the president-elect.

What about Russia? In Moscow, the Kremlin did not offer an official comment on the election. Russian State Duma Foreign Affairs Committee Leonid Slutsky told state news agency TASS that a Trump victory offered a chance for more constructive dialogue about the war in Ukraine. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on Telegram welcomed Trump’s election. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told state news agency RIA Novosti that leader Vladimir Putin is open to dialogue with the United States. On the campaign trail, Trump promised to secure an end to the war in Ukraine if he was elected.

Are any countries disappointed by his win? Beijing did not release an official reaction to the election early Wednesday morning as relations between China and the United States have become more tense in recent months. Trump has promised to increase tariffs on Chinese imports. China views Taiwan as part of its own territory. While the United States holds to a policy for one China, it is also legally bound to back Taiwan if it faces a military attack from the mainland. Meanwhile, Taiwan President Li Ching-te congratulated Trump on his victory.

Dig deeper: Read Carolina Lumetta’s report about how Trump made his comeback.


Lauren Canterberry

Lauren Canterberry is a reporter for WORLD. She graduated from the World Journalism Institute and the University of Georgia with a degree in journalism, both in 2017. She worked as a local reporter in Texas and now lives in Georgia with her husband.


An actual newsletter worth subscribing to instead of just a collection of links. —Adam

Sign up to receive The Sift email newsletter each weekday morning for the latest headlines from WORLD’s breaking news team.
COMMENT BELOW

Please wait while we load the latest comments...

Comments