Global leaders congratulate Trump, but his victory looks set to roil the world — again

By Jill Lawless, Associated Press 

LONDON (AP) — The verdict of U.S. voters was much decisive than astir pundits and analysts had predicted. Now the satellite waits to spot whether the predetermination of Donald Trump arsenic president is arsenic destabilizing galore American allies fear.

Trump secured triumph Wednesday aft surpassing the 270 electoral assemblage votes needed to win. In a triumph code earlier the authoritative declaration, helium vowed to “put our state first” and bring astir a “golden age” for America.

Trump’s archetypal word saw him insult and alienate longstanding American allies. His instrumentality to the White House, 4 years aft losing bureau to President Joe Biden, has immense consequences for everything from planetary commercialized to clime alteration to aggregate crises and conflicts astir the world.

Trump has pledged to ramp up a tariff feud with China, the United States’ increasing economical and strategical rival. In the Middle East, Trump has pledged, without saying how, to extremity the conflicts betwixt Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah. He has besides vowed to extremity the Russia-Ukraine war wrong 24 hours of taking bureau – thing Ukraine and its supporters fearfulness would beryllium connected presumption favorable to Moscow.

Here’s however leaders and others astir the satellite are reacting:

ISRAEL’S PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU: “Congratulations connected history’s top comeback! Your historical instrumentality to the White House offers a caller opening for America and a almighty recommitment to the large confederation betwixt Israel and America. This is simply a immense victory!”

Netanyahu and Trump had a choky narration during the erstwhile president’s archetypal term, but the ties soured erstwhile Netanyahu congratulated President Joe Biden for winning successful 2020. During his archetypal term, Trump pushed to remake the Middle East by reconciling Israel and Saudi Arabia, and each eyes present are connected however helium intervenes to the region’s existent conflicts.

UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY: “I admit President Trump’s committedness to the ‘peace done strength’ attack successful planetary affairs. This is precisely the rule that tin practically bring conscionable bid successful Ukraine closer. I americium hopeful that we volition enactment it into enactment together. We look guardant to an epoch of a beardown United States of America nether President Trump’s decisive leadership.”

The aboriginal of U.S. enactment for Ukraine’s combat against Russian penetration is 1 of the biggest unknowns astir Trump’s overseas policy.

HUNGARIAN PRIME MINISTER VIKTOR ORBAN: “They threatened him with prison, they took his property, they wanted to termination him … and helium inactive won”

Hungary’s nationalist leader, 1 of Trump’s astir ardent overseas supporters, welcomed a effect helium said would person a transformative effect connected the satellite and bring an extremity to the warfare successful Ukraine. “We person galore plans that we tin execute successful the coming twelvemonth with President Donald Trump,” said Orbán, who connected Thursday volition clasp a acme successful Budapest for immoderate 50 different European leaders – galore of whom consciousness overmuch much apprehensive astir the interaction of a 2nd Trump presidency connected Europe’s system and security.

NATO SECRETARY-GENERAL MARK RUTTE: “We look a increasing fig of challenges globally, from a much assertive Russia, to terrorism, to strategical contention with China, arsenic good the expanding alignment of China, Russia, North Korea and Iran. Working unneurotic done NATO helps to deter aggression, support our corporate security, and enactment our economies.”

Trump was a strong professional of the Atlantic subject alliance during his archetypal term, accusing its different members of failing to propulsion their weight. Rutte praised Trump for his enactment persuading subordinate states to ramp up defence spending, saying NATO was present “stronger, larger, and much united.”

Military expert Phillips O’Brien, prof of strategical studies astatine the University of St Andrews, said it’s not conscionable NATO. The United States’ different allies successful the Indo-Pacific, including Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and adjacent Australia, “can nary longer look for the U.S.A. to beryllium a reliable spouse successful defense,” helium said.

EUROPEAN COMMISSION PRESIDENT URSULA VON DER LEYEN: “I warmly congratulate Donald J. Trump. The EU and the U.S. are much than conscionable allies. We are bound by a existent concern betwixt our people, uniting 800 cardinal citizens. Let america enactment unneurotic connected a transatlantic concern that continues to present for our citizens.”

European leaders are keen to accent that the trans-Atlantic narration transcends idiosyncratic politicians, but Trump’s protectionist economical leanings are causing concern. During his past word helium slapped tariffs connected European alloy and aluminum, roiling the bloc’s economy.

BRITISH PRIME MINISTER KEIR STARMER: “Congratulations President-elect Trump connected your historical predetermination victory. I look guardant to moving with you successful the years ahead. As the closest of allies, we basal enarthrosis to enarthrosis successful defence of our shared values of freedom, ideology and enterprise.”

Like governments of U.S. allies astir the world, Starmer’s center-left administration has worked hard to forge ties with Trump and his team. Starmer had meal with Trump astatine Trump Tower successful September, where, U.K. officials say, they recovered communal crushed implicit Starmer’s beardown law-and-order arsenic a erstwhile main prosecutor, and the lefty size of his parliamentary majority.

FRENCH PRESIDENT EMMANUEL MACRON: “Congratulations, President (at)realDonaldTrump. Ready to enactment unneurotic arsenic we did for 4 years. With your convictions and mine. With respect and ambition. For much bid and prosperity.”

GERMAN CHANCELLOR OLAF SCHOLZ: “I congratulate Donald Trump connected his predetermination arsenic U.S. President. For a agelong time, Germany and the US person been moving unneurotic successfully promoting prosperity and state connected some sides of the Atlantic. We volition proceed to bash truthful for the wellbeing of our citizens.”

Amid the congratulations. France and Germany arranged a last-minute gathering of their defence ministers connected Wednesday to sermon the results of the U.S. elections and its implications for Ukraine and European defense.

ITALIAN PREMIER GIORGIA MELONI: “Italy and the United States are sister nations, linked by an unshakeable alliance, communal values and a historical friendship. It is simply a strategical bond, which I americium definite we volition present fortify adjacent more.”

More a earthy state of Trump than galore European leaders, Meloni successful 2022 became the caput of Italy’s archetypal far-right-led authorities since World War II. She has forged alliances with different right-wing leaders successful Europe and has made a people cracking down connected migration.

DA WEI, manager of the Center for International Security and Strategy astatine Tsinghua University successful Beijing: “It is not each dark, but determination are much challenges than opportunities. We are wide astir the challenges. As for opportunities, we are yet to spot them clearly.”

There was nary contiguous absorption from the Chinese authorities to Trump’s victory, but analysts were pessimistic, citing the likelihood of escalating tariffs and an intensifying confrontation implicit Taiwan.

INDIAN PRIME MINISTER NARENDRA MODI: “Heartiest congratulations my person (at)realDonaldTrump connected your historical predetermination victory. … Together, let’s enactment for the betterment of our radical and to beforehand planetary peace, stableness and prosperity.”

While U.S.-India ties grew nether erstwhile Biden, the blimpish Hindu nationalist person Modi was besides adjacent to Trump, who received an adulatory reception erstwhile helium visited India successful 2020 arsenic much than 100,000 radical packed into a cricket stadium to spot him

KREMLIN SPOKESMAN DMITRY PESKOV: “Let’s not hide that we are talking astir the unfriendly state that is some straight and indirectly progressive successful a warfare against our state.”

No congratulations were forthcoming from Moscow, wherever President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, Peskov, declared that Russia-U.S. relations were astatine the “lowest constituent successful history.”

Associated Press writers astir the satellite contributed to this story.