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World leaders were quick to congratulate Joe Biden on winning an exciting presidential election in the United States, even though President Donald Trump has formally refused to concede.
Amid a flood of congratulatory messages, there were some notable silences between Trump’s closest global allies and Washington’s staunchest enemies. After major US television networks announced the news on Saturday afternoon, Russia, Turkey, Israel, Iran, Hungary, Saudi Arabia and China did not issue initial official statements.
However, the first world leader to break the silence was Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who did not mention Trump, with whom he had an often troubled relationship.
Instead, the Canadian leader said he would work with the United States to “promote peace and inclusion, economic prosperity and climate action around the world” and congratulated both Biden and Kamala Harris, his running mate, who will make the first woman, the first African American and the first Asian American to serve as vice president, the country’s No. 2 office.
Several major television networks finally declared Biden’s victory on Saturday after a grueling five-day vote count saw him advance in key states.
“I am honored and humbled by the trust the American people have placed in me and Vice President-elect (Kamala) Harris,” Biden said on Twitter.
Trump, who has repeatedly made claims of voter fraud and insists that he did indeed win, accused Biden of “rushing to pose as the winner.”
“This election is far from over,” he said in a statement issued while golfing in Virginia.
But this did not stop many leaders of Western nations, including those long considered allies of the United States, from celebrating Biden’s victory. Many had clashed with Trump over security, trade and numerous multilateral issues, including Washington’s withdrawal from the Paris climate accords. During the NATO and G7 summits, Trump has repeatedly insulted other leaders, intimidated officials behind closed doors, and has occasionally walked out of meetings.
In quick succession, France, Germany, Spain, Ireland and New Zealand issued statements.
“Americans have elected their president. Congratulations @JoeBiden and @KamalaHarris! We have a lot to do to overcome the current challenges. Let’s work together! “French President Emmanuel Macron wrote on Twitter. As Anne Hidalgo, the mayor of Paris, tweeted” Welcome back America! ”
“It is good that there is finally a clear result,” wrote German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, “We look forward to working with the next US administration.”
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis also congratulated Mr. Biden by calling him a “true friend of Greece”.
Yet most of the world’s authoritarian or populist leaders who were considered Trump’s ideological fellow travelers were silent about the imminent downfall of a man who had empowered and legitimized his brand of right-wing populism.
Turkey, which enjoyed exceptionally warm ties to the White House during the Trump administration, was one of those who kept quiet.
Iranian officials, including outspoken Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif, also did not issue any statement on Biden’s victory, which could mean a return to the nuclear deal negotiated by President Barack Obama while he was serving as vice president.
Instead, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei called the vote “a spectacle” and “the ultimate political, civil and moral decline of the American regime” on Twitter.
Abbas Mousavi, Iran’s Ambassador to Azerbaijan and former Foreign Ministry spokesman, said on Twitter that “Joe Biden is possibly the same as his predecessors.”
In Russia, the Kremlin was also quiet. However, in a sign of what might happen, Konstantin Kosachyov, chairman of the Federation Council’s Foreign Affairs Committee, posted a dismissive Facebook post declaring Biden’s victory premature, as “clearly there was no official result yet “.
“There is no clear, unconditional and compelling winner. What, instead, has emerged victorious is schism and mutually exclusive social views about the future of America, ”he said.
Saudi Arabia, which is close to the Trump administration, has yet to release a statement.
Ali Shihabi, a Saudi analyst who sits on the advisory board for one of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s megaprojects, said the Gulf overall favored a Trump victory, but added that “we can live with it.
“It was unreliable and that scared thoughtful people in the Gulf,” Shihabi added.
In Israel, there was a notable silence from one of Trump’s closest allies, Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been criticized at home for getting too close to Trump and the Republican Party to the detriment of the bipartisan relationship between the two countries. The photo on the banner on Netanyahu’s official Twitter account was still a photo of himself with Trump.
However, Israeli opposition figures and the Palestinian leadership were quick to intervene. Yair Lapid, who had run against Netanyahu in three special elections in Israel, described Biden as a “friend” in a statement in which he made reference to both the Democratic and Republican parties.
Prominent Arab-Israeli member of parliament Ahmad Tibi, meanwhile, announced the end of the Trump era.
“A White House without Trump should bring a less racist world,” he wrote on Twitter.
The Palestinian leadership expressed a similar sentiment, which had cut ties with the Trump administration two years ago after it formally declared the contested city of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris along with President-Elect Joe Biden
(AP)
Hanan Ashrawi, a senior official in the Palestine Liberation Organization, wrote “America Gutted!” adding that “the world needs to be able to breathe.”
Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony, who won the election against the party of Hungarian strongman Viktor Orban, described Trump as good for the right-wing government, but Biden as good for Hungary.
After an initial hiatus, India and Egypt, both exceptionally close to Trump, also followed suit amid speculation about how both would change their messages in the event of a Democratic victory.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, whom Trump dubbed “his favorite dictator,” emphasized “strategic bilateral relations” between the two countries.
The Indian prime minister, despite cultivating a close friendship with Trump for four years, did not hold back and congratulated Biden on his “spectacular victory.”
Senior French Diplomat
Modi also issued a separate tweet congratulating Kamala Harris, who becomes the first Native American vice president. “His success is groundbreaking and a source of immense pride not only for his chittis (aunts), but also for all American Indians. I am confident that the vibrant ties between India and the United States will be further strengthened with your support and leadership, ”he wrote.
Back in Europe, a senior French diplomat described the mood as euphoric, adding that “we are very relieved.”
Among Europe’s priorities now are carrying out damage control during the lame duck period until Biden takes control of the White House on January 20 and prepares for a reestablishment of relations.
The official predicted that Trump’s defeat would trigger a series of consequences that could mean a Britain more willing to commit to Brexit, autocratic leaders in Eastern and South-Eastern Europe more concerned about human rights violations and a less “schizophrenic” Russia.
“We are happy to address common challenges with cooperative management and face differences in a civilized way,” added the diplomat. “We have no illusions of a return to the pax americana, and we are aware that Europeans must do more.”
