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.

What about China? Beijing on Wednesday morning released a statement saying China respects the choice of the American people and congratulated Trump on his win. The statement comes 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.