What’s the world saying about Trump’s win? Here are the leaders who’ve commented
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Leaders from around the world congratulated Donald Trump on his presidential election victory, as governments prepare for his return to the White House and the potential impact that will have on economic activities, military actions and political alliances.
Israel and the Palestinian Territories
Both Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog described Trump's win as "historic," with Netanyahu calling the former U.S. president's performance at the polls one of "history's greatest comebacks" that would offer "a new beginning for America and a powerful recommitment to the great alliance between Israel and America."
Trump has previously questioned Netanyahu's approach to the now-13 months of conflict in Gaza, where more than 43,000 Palestinian have been killed since last October's Hamas-led attack, which killed some 1,200 people in Israel.
But the Israeli leader's domestic critics have repeatedly said in recent weeks that he has delayed some critical decisions out of hope for a Trump victory that would provide him with more latitude for his decisions about Israeli military actions tied to Gaza, Lebanon and Iran. Netanyahu chose Tuesday night to fire his defense minister Yoav Gallant, whose views of Israel's various conflicts had increasingly conflicted with his own.
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Herzog, who fulfils a more ceremonial role as head of state, described Trump as a "champion of peace and cooperation in our region," in reference to Trump's help in brokering agreements between Israel and several Arab states during his last administration, which had led to improved trade ties as well as mutual political recognition with countries like the United Arab Emirates.
In the West Bank, an Israeli settler leader expressed hope that Trump would back an Israeli move to permanently annex the occupied land that Palestinians want for a state — an idea that David Friedman, Trump's former ambassador to Israel, promotes in his new book, One Jewish State. Palestinians in the West Bank told NPR they feared that outcome.
Trump has said he wants the Gaza war to end. Analysts in Israel suggest Trump will give Netanyahu the freedom to end it on Netanyahu’s preferred terms.
Senior Hamas official Basem Naim said Trump’s election is a “private matter for the Americans” but said Palestinians look forward to an “immediate” end to the Gaza war.
In Gaza, some Palestinians fear the war will intensify with Trump in office.
“The strikes and the killing will continue and increase … the relationship between Trump and Netanyahu is strong,” Gaza resident Mohammed Al Hasany said in a market in central Gaza.
Russia
Russian President Vladimir Putin has no plans to congratulate Trump on his election victory yet, the Kremlin said on Wednesday — citing ongoing tensions with the U.S. over its military support for Ukraine.
“Let’s not forget that we’re talking about an unfriendly country that is both directly and indirectly involved in a war against our state,” said his spokesman Dmitry Peskov in a daily briefing with reporters.
Trump has repeatedly voiced skepticism over continued U.S. military aid to Ukraine and said he would end the war in Ukraine “in 24 hours” after his election — feeding concerns in Kyiv and European capitals that Trump plans to force a political solution unpalatable to many Ukrainians.
But the head of the foreign affairs committee in the Russian parliament, Leonid Slutsky, was quoted by the country's state-run news agency, RIA Novosti, saying that Trump's electoral victory could mean there was now "a chance for a more constructive approach to the Ukrainian conflict."
Yet Russian political observers cautioned Trump’s plans bordered on unrealistic.
“In the case that attention and money from Washington will be diverted from Ukraine — that will have a big impact on the battlefield and probably create a composition for a new hypothetical deal,” says Fyodor Lukyanov, editor of Russia in Global Affairs magazine, in an interview with NPR.
"But not immediately,” he adds, noting it would be “very difficult” to imagine a wider improvement in U.S.-Russian relations without some resolution to "the Ukrainian crisis.”
Skepticism in Moscow is also fueled by memories of the election of 2016 — when Trump’s vows to improve relations tanked amid allegations of Russian attempts to interfere in the vote.
The Kremlin’s spokesman suggested it would wait and see until Trump actually took the oath of office before judging prospects for real change in Washington’s policies toward Russia.
“Whether it will be done and how it will be done, you and I will see after [Trump’s inauguration in] January,” said Peskov.
Ukraine
Ukraine is facing the prospect of a seismic change in its relationship with its biggest and most crucial single ally after Trump’s election win. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he congratulated Trump early in the day. Writing on social media, Zelenskyy explained that he and Trump had a “great” meeting in September and that he appreciated what he calls Trump’s “peace through strength” approach in global affairs.
“We are interested in developing mutually beneficial political and economic cooperation that will benefit both of our nations,” he wrote.
In recent months the Ukrainian leader has expressed frustration at the Biden administration for being cautious in supplying weapons to Ukraine and imposing restrictions on how those stockpiles can be used. Zelenskyy has said such caution has only encouraged more bullying behavior by Russia at a time when Ukrainian forces are on the back foot along parts of the country's eastern front lines, and as Kyiv confirms the involvement of North Korean soldiers in some Russian battle formations.
But notably, Zelenskyy did not mention Trump's repeatedly expressed respect for Putin, the architect and chief promulgator of the ongoing conflict that has devastated Ukraine for more than two years — nor the perceived threat to the unity of the NATO military alliance that has been so crucial to Ukraine's war effort.
Vice President-elect JD Vance has said Ukraine should give up land already occupied by Russia as well as its NATO bid in exchange for peace.
NATO
Mark Rutte, the former Dutch prime minister and now NATO secretary general, shared his own reaction to Trump's return to power via social media, describing how he had "congratulated" him and looked forward to working with him again, while insisting that Trump's leadership would once more be "key to keeping our Alliance strong."
Rutte earned a reputation as a useful interlocutor during summits and meetings between NATO leaders and Trump between 2017 and 2020. He was able to convince Trump of the need to maintain America's role in the alliance while at the same time communicating Trump's demands diplomatically but effectively to some of his fellow European leaders.
Trump's repeated past criticisms of NATO's members' spending in Europe were, alongside Russia's invasion of Ukraine, responsible for huge increases in defense spending. He has vowed to continue his aggressive stance on the issue.
China
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning tried to strike a reassuring tone on Wednesday in Beijing as U.S. election results rolled in, saying that Chinese policy toward the U.S. has been consistent and will continue "in accordance with the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation.”
Donald Trump has said he would impose tariffs of 60% or more on all Chinese imports as a way to protect U.S. industry and bring in revenue for the government. Mao Ning declined to comment on the possibility of fresh U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods, calling it a hypothetical.
Japan and South Korea
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol congratulated Trump on social media, saying the future of his country's U.S. alliance “will shine brighter” under Trump's strong leadership.
Japanese government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi called the alliance with the U.S. the linchpin of Japan’s foreign and security policies.
Privately, Seoul and Tokyo have long voiced concerns about being abandoned by the U.S., possibly forcing them to acquire nuclear weapons. Trump has criticized both allies, saying they pay too little of the cost of defending them.
There’s been no reaction yet from North Korea. Diplomacy between Trump and North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Un, fell apart in 2019.
Mexico
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said her government is waiting for firmer results to issue an official statement about the U.S. elections. However, during her morning press briefing, she called Mexicans everywhere to keep calm.
“To all Mexicans, there is no reason to worry. To our brothers and sisters living in the U.S., to their family members living here, to the business people, there is no reason to worry,” she said. “Mexico will always prevail. We are a free, independent, sovereign nation and there will be a good relationship with the United States. I am convinced of that.”
It was a statement designed to assuage concerns over what Mexico may face in the coming Trump years. Mexico is the United States' leading trade partner. The countries are joined at the hip, yet Trump has made Mexico his bogeyman — one of his biggest targets on the campaign trail.
During his first term, Trump strong-armed Mexico into instituting tougher immigration policies by threatening to shut down the border, not just to immigrants but for trade. Just a few days ago, he threatened something similar, saying if Mexico does not stop migrants and drugs from reaching the U.S. border, he would impose tariffs on Mexican exports.
“If they don’t stop this onslaught of criminals and drugs coming into our country, I’m going to immediately impose a 25% tariff on everything they send into the United States of America,” Trump said at a rally this week.
During Trump’s first term, Mexico's government took a conciliatory approach. Its leaders avoided antagonizing Trump and they mostly fell in line with his policies. Sheinbaum, who has been in office for a little more than a month, seems to be taking that same approach. Over the past few days, she has said repeatedly that Mexico and the U.S. will continue to have a good relationship regardless of who is in power.
Canada
“Congratulations to Donald Trump on being elected,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on X Wednesday. “The friendship between Canada and the U.S. is the envy of the world. I know President Trump and I will work together to create more opportunity, prosperity, and security for both of our nations.”
Canada’s government got a warning about what a potential second Trump administration might look like on Sunday in comments from Kelly Craft, a former U.S. ambassador under Trump.
"Canada, they need to buckle up, The whole world needs to buckle up because President Trump will continue his policies from 2016,” Craft said in an interview on Canadian radio, according to the CBC.
In his first term, Trump pressed Trudeau to spend more on defense, in alignment with NATO’s rules. He has also recently spoken about putting tariffs on imports — another issue that would be a sticking point with the U.S. neighbor to the north.
South America
The most fervent congratulations to President-elect Trump in South America are coming from some of the hemisphere’s most conservative leaders.
Argentina’s far-right libertarian President Javier Milei, who shares a similar brash style with Trump, called the victory "formidable." Milei, who has pledged to carry out a foreign policy with only two nations, the U.S. and Israel, posted on social media, “You know that You can count on Argentina to carry out your task.”
Similarly, Brazil’s former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro posted videos of himself with Trump and long adorations of the president-elect, calling him a “true warrior.” He added, “May Trump’s victory inspire Brazil to follow the same path.”
Bolsonaro has been barred from running for office until 2030 for spreading disinformation during his failed reelection bid in 2022. Like Trump, Bolsonaro never accepted the defeat. Bolsonaro supporters stormed government buildings on Jan. 8, 2023, in an attempt to overturn the election results. Eduardo Bolsonaro, the former president’s son and current legislator, spent last night at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago campaign celebration.
Brazil’s leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva also congratulated Trump, yet with more muted enthusiasm. Posting on X, Lula wrote, “Democracy is the voice of the people and must always be respected.”
Lula had openly endorsed Vice President Harris, equating a Trump victory with a return to fascism. However, Brazil could benefit financially under Trump. He has promised a trade war with China. That could increase Chinese demand for Brazilian grain exports, a boon to the South American country’s influential agricultural sector.
Africa
Trump raised ire in Africa during his last presidency by referring to some African nations as “shithole countries,” by mispronouncing "Namibia" and by comparing himself to South Africa's liberation hero Nelson Mandela.
However, he is popular with some Africans, who have said they admire his “strongman” style.
“I look forward to continuing the close and mutually beneficial partnership between our two nations across all domains of our cooperation,” South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said on X. “In the global arena, we look forward to our Presidency of the G20 in 2025, where we will work closely with the US who will succeed us in the G20 Presidency in 2026,” Ramaphosa, who leads the continent’s most developed economy continued. The South African rand currency tanked on the U.S. election news.
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu posted congratulations on X, saying he believed Trump’s return to the White House would “usher in an era of earnest, beneficial, and reciprocal economic and development partnerships between Africa and the United States.”
Analysts said ahead of the vote that an “America First” Trump presidency could spell bad news for the continent in terms of global trade as well as U.S. funding for health, especially reproductive rights and HIV/AIDS.
Others said it mattered less who was in charge in Washington, given that American leaders from both sides of the aisle have paid scant attention to Africa. This has left room for other global powers, like China and Russia, to make diplomatic inroads on the continent, they said.
Iraq
Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani congratulated Trump and said he wanted to strengthen ties with the United States. "Iraq reaffirms its steadfast commitment to strengthening bilateral relations with the United States, grounded in mutual respect and shared interests," he said in a statement. And Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid said he hopes the administration can “foster much needed stability and constructive dialogue in the region."
In 2021, Baghdad’s investigative court issued an arrest warrant for Trump following the U.S. airstrike that killed Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Gen. Qasem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the Iraqi deputy head of the Iran-backed Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces.
Shia militias backed by Iran have major political influence in Iraq. But the Iraqi Parliament’s Foreign Relations Committee said it intends to engage with a Trump administration regardless of the arrest warrant, underscoring that it is in Iraq’s national interest to do so.
United Kingdom
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, whose Labour Party's policies are markedly different from Trump's Republican platform, sought to emphasize the historic nature of the U.K.'s "special relationship" with the United States.
He said in a congratulatory social media post that the relationship would "continue to prosper on both sides of the Atlantic," and anticipated working with the president-elect in the "years ahead" as "the closest of allies."
Britain is still waiting to sign a post-Brexit bilateral trade deal with the United States, which proceeded as a possibility with fits and starts under the first Trump administration, and made little to no progress under a Biden White House. Starmer and his foreign secretary David Lammy had dinner at Trump Tower earlier this fall, despite years of scathing and undiplomatic criticism of Trump from Lammy before he became Britain's top diplomat.
In recent weeks, Trump's campaign team made a legal charge of electoral interference against the Labour Party, which dispatched volunteers to help support Vice President Kamala Harris' electoral effort.
France
In France, the first message from the Élysée Palace was brief and workmanlike.
On social media, President Emmanuel Macron posted that he was "ready to work together" with Trump, "with your convictions and mine" and with "respect and ambition."
But in a subsequent message on social media, Macron mentioned a conversation he had with Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz, in which the two men — as heads of Europe's largest economies — had committed to work together for a "more united, more sovereign Europe in this new context," referring to the U.S. election result.
Macron wrote that while they would cooperate with the United States, they would also be "defending our interests and our values." During Trump's previous presidency, there were significant disagreements on the role of tariffs in global trade, with many European exports - including French wine - subject to steep U.S. import tariffs that significantly affected the economies of France, Italy and Spain.
Reporting was contributed by Daniel Estrin in Tel Aviv, Charles Maynes in Moscow, Joanna Kakissis in Kyiv, John Ruwitch in Shanghai, Anthony Kuhn in Seoul, Eyder Peralta in Mexico City, Bill Chappell in Washington, D.C., Carrie Kahn in Rio de Janeiro, Kate Bartlett in Johannesburg and Ruth Sherlock in Rome.
Copyright 2024, NPR
