LONDON (AP) — US voters’ verdict It was more conclusive than most pollsters and experts expected. Now the world is waiting to see if Donald Trump will be elected president for the second time It would prove to be just as destabilizing as many American allies fear.
Trump secured victory Wednesday. The number of electoral votes exceeded 270. It was necessary to win. In his victory speech before his official declaration, he vowed to “put our country first” and usher in a “golden age” for America.
President Trump’s first term insulted and alienated many of America’s longtime allies. His return to the White House, four years after he was ousted by President Joe Biden, has huge implications for everything from global trade to climate change to multiple crises and conflicts around the world.
President Trump is Tariff dispute with China A growing economic and strategic rival of the United States. In the Middle East, President Trump promised to end the Middle East conflict without saying how. Conflict between Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah. He also vowed to end this problem Russia-Ukraine war Within 24 hours of his inauguration, what Ukraine and its supporters fear will be conditions favorable to Russia.
Here are reactions from leaders and others around the world.
American and Ukrainian flags placed in honor of fallen service members wave in the wind in front of a bronze statue in the main square in Kiev, Ukraine, on Tuesday, November 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Alex Babenko)
NATO is tense and Ukraine is worried
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte congratulated President Trump, saying he would “advance peace with strength through NATO” in the face of “growing global challenges” such as “strengthening cooperation between China and Russia.” I look forward to working with him again.” , North Korea and Iran. ”
Mr. Trump is Strong critic of the North Atlantic Military Alliance During his first term, he accused other members of failing to fulfill their responsibilities. Earlier this year he said of the United States: Will not protect NATO members Defense spending targets have not been achieved. President Trump wants European allies to increase their military spending to reduce dependence on U.S. deterrence, but some European leaders and diplomats believe that Trump’s commitment to NATO is They have expressed concern that something is fundamentally lacking.
Rutte highlighted the positives, praising President Trump’s work in persuading member states to increase defense spending, saying NATO is now “stronger, bigger and more united.”
Some say America’s allies are belatedly wondering what to do if they can no longer rely on America to protect them.
“The existential concern for Europeans is that what will happen to ukrainewhat will happen to European security, and what will happen to America’s commitment to NATO? ” said Leslie Binjamuri, director of the United States and the Americas program at Chatham House think tank. “Will America cooperate for Europe?”
The United States is by far the biggest military supporter for Kiev in its fight against Russian aggression, but the Biden administration resisted pressure from President Volodymyr Zelensky To do more. Zelenskiy, like Rutte, said he welcomed President Trump’s “peace through strength” approach.
“These are the principles that can realistically bring Ukraine closer to a just peace,” President Zelenskiy said on social media. “We look forward to doing it together. We look forward to an era of a strong United States under President Trump’s decisive leadership.”
Zelenskiy wrote that he later spoke with President Trump and congratulated him on “his historic landslide victory, his incredible campaign making this outcome possible.” I praised his family and team for their great work. We agreed to maintain close dialogue and advance cooperation. ”
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There were no congratulations from Moscow, but Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov declared that Russian-American relations were at “the lowest point in history.”
A pedestrian passes by a digital screen displaying news headlines about the US election in Leicester Square on Wednesday, November 6, 2024 in London. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Europe’s celebrations mask deep divisions
European leaders congratulated President Trump even before his victory was officially declared.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called it a “historic election victory” and said: “As our closest allies, the UK and the US will continue to work together to protect our shared values of freedom and democracy.”
As well as U.S. allied governments around the world, Starmer’s centre-left government He has worked hard to build a relationship with Trump and his team. Starmer had dinner with Trump at Trump Tower in September.
France’s centrist President Emmanuel Macron expressed his congratulations, calling it “respect and ambition.” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, a member of the Social Democratic Party, congratulated Trump and said he hoped to maintain close ties, even though “many things will certainly change under a Donald Trump administration.”
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, whose far-right-led government is politically close to President Trump, said that Italy and the United States have “strategic ties, and I am convinced that they will become even stronger in the future.” .
European leaders are keen to emphasize that the transatlantic relationship goes beyond individual politicians, but President Trump’s protectionist economic tendencies are raising concerns. During his last term, he imposed tariffs on European steel and aluminum, disrupting the region’s economy.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stressed that the EU and the United States are “linked by a true partnership between our peoples, uniting 800 million people.” Let’s work together in a transatlantic partnership that continues to serve our people. ”
Meanwhile, European populist politicians welcomed their comrade’s victory.
“They threatened to imprison him, took his property, tried to kill him…and still he won.” Hungarian nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orbánwho will hold it? Summit meeting in Budapest Thursday to about 50 European leaders.
Middle East in turmoil awaits President Trump’s move
During his first term, Trump pushed for the reconstruction of the Middle East by reconciling Israel and Saudi Arabia, but there are currently tensions between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, and between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. All eyes are on how he will intervene in the escalating conflict, and who his main supporters are. Of the two extremist groups, Iran.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Trump’s election victory “the greatest upset in history.”
“Your historic return to the White House brings a new beginning for America and a powerful recommitment to the great alliance of Israel and America. This is a huge victory!” he wrote on social media.
with playing cards prime minister netanyahu The fellow conservative nationalists had a close relationship with the former president during his first term, but relations soured in 2020 after Netanyahu celebrated President Joe Biden’s victory.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s aides hope Trump will allow Israel free rein against its enemies, but the president-elect is notoriously unpredictable and the Israeli leader has facing strong opposition. on tuesday he Popular Defense Minister Yoav Gallant firedThe sudden announcement sparked protests across the United States.
Hamas issued a brief statement saying, “Our position towards the new US administration depends on its position and practical actions towards the Palestinian people, their legitimate rights and cause.”
Washington is one of the main mediators of Gaza ceasefire negotiations, which have so far failed. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, another key figure in regional peace efforts and a close ally of President Trump during his first administration, said that Egypt is “committed to maintaining peace and stability in the region.” “We look forward to coming together as one,” he said.
U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns watches voting results appear on a screen with other attendees during a U.S. presidential election reception at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024 (AP Photo) / Ng Han Guan)
Other African leaders also sent their congratulations, including South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu.
China’s challenge still looms
In a congratulatory message to President Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping called on the United States and China to manage their differences and work together in a new era.
According to Chinese state media, he told Trump that history shows both sides gain from cooperation and lose from conflict.
However, Chinese analysts were pessimistic and said there was a possibility of another. Soaring tariffs And the conflict over Taiwan intensified.
“It’s not all bleak, but there are more challenges than opportunities,” said Da Wei, director of the Center for International Security Strategy at Tsinghua University in Beijing. “We are clear about the challenges. We are not yet clear about the opportunities.”
I can’t wait territorial dispute The South China Sea strait is a fault line in the U.S.-China conflict in Asia and will likely remain a major foreign policy concern for the next U.S. president.
Asian leaders concerned about China’s growing influence and North Korea’s nuclear program sought President Trump’s attention in congratulatory messages.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said, “I look forward to working closely with President-elect Trump to take the Japan-U.S. alliance and relationship to an even higher level.” South Korean President Yun Seok-Yeol said that under President Trump’s “strong leadership,” the Korea-U.S. alliance “will shine even brighter.”
But Phillips O’Brien, a professor of strategic studies at the University of St. Andrews, said America’s allies in the Indo-Pacific, including Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and even Australia, “can no longer count on the United States as a country they can trust.” said. defensive partner. ”
Neighbors want good relations
America’s neighbors in the Americas, some of whom suffered from protectionist instincts during President Trump’s first term, are also bracing for uncertainty.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said that despite President Trump’s previous threat to impose trade tariffs on Mexican goods if Mexico does not do more to stem the flow of migrants and drugs into the United States, He told the people, “There’s no need to worry.”
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who was previously derided by President Trump as “weak” and “dishonest,” wrote in X magazine: “The friendship between Canada and the United States is the envy of the world, and I know that President Trump and I will work together to create more opportunity, prosperity, and security for our two countries.”
Brazil’s leftist president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, congratulated Trump despite endorsing Kamala Harris just days earlier.
“Democracy is the voice of the people and must always be respected,” Lula told X.
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Associated Press reporters around the world contributed to this story.
