Donald Trump wins according to preliminary unofficial data: reaction of world leaders
According to preliminary unofficial data that appeared in the press, Donald Trump has won the US presidential election. Although the vote count is still ongoing, the results have already caused a wave of reactions among world leaders.
Kamala Harris, who represents the Democratic Party, has not yet provided an official comment on Trump’s victory. According to Reuters, she is preparing to give a speech in which she will admit her defeat, which is scheduled for 16:00 US Eastern Time (23:00 Kyiv time). Sources say that Harris also plans to call Trump to personally acknowledge his victory.
In addition, as NBC News notes, citing two aides, Joe Biden will also make a public statement on the matter. According to a White House spokesperson, Biden intends to show respect for the democratic process by doing what Trump did not do in 2020, when he lost: he plans to congratulate Trump by phone, invite him to the White House, and attend his inauguration if Trump wins. The White House has also confirmed that Biden will be ready to attend the inauguration ceremony if Trump’s victory is officially confirmed.
Donald Trump, who attaches great importance to the support and diplomatic gestures of world leaders, is closely monitoring which foreign politicians will take the initiative and contact him after the preliminary results are announced. According to CNN, Trump is looking forward to receiving congratulations from leaders and has asked in personal conversations why some politicians have not yet contacted him. Back at the beginning of the year, when it looked like he might win the Iowa caucuses, Trump kept track of who was showing him support among Republicans and when, and this directly affected his attitude towards these people. He is currently following a similar approach in the international arena.
Among the first world leaders to congratulate Trump were French President Emmanuel Macron and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. In their social media accounts, they expressed their congratulations and shared their willingness to cooperate. Macron noted that he was ready to continue working with Trump in the same way as four years ago.
Orban called Trump’s victory ‘the greatest comeback in US political history’ and stressed that it was extremely important not only for the US but for the whole world. On his social network X (formerly Twitter), he wrote:
“Congratulations to President Donald Trump on a huge victory. A much needed victory for the whole world!”
It is known that Orbán has previously publicly expressed his sympathy for Trump in the presidential race, and in particular, stated that he would open several bottles of champagne if Trump became president of the United States again. Orban noted that during Trump’s presidency from 2016 to 2020, Hungarian-American relations reached a high level, and the dialogue with Washington helped to resolve issues that threatened global security.
Against the backdrop of the Republican’s victory, Orban expressed the need for a new strategy for Europe regarding Ukraine. Speaking at a summit of Turkic-speaking countries in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek, Orban said that the Republican victory in the US raises the question for European leaders whether Europe is able to continue to provide military and financial assistance to Ukraine on its own. He also expressed doubts about this and noted that Europe may need a new strategy. The first steps in this direction may be taken as early as 7 November at the informal EU summit in Budapest, where this topic will be on the agenda. Orban also drew attention to the financial issue of 50 billion euros, which, according to preliminary agreements of the G7, should be jointly funded by the EU and the US to support Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also congratulated Donald Trump, recalling in his statement their excellent meeting in September, during which they had the opportunity to discuss in detail the strategic partnership between Ukraine and the United States.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer joined Trump’s congratulations and called his victory ‘historic’, expressing hope for further productive cooperation between the US and the UK.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also congratulated Trump on his election, noting that Germany and the United States have been working together for many years for development, freedom and prosperity on both sides of the Atlantic. In his message, he wrote:
“I congratulate Trump on his election as President of the United States. Germany and the United States have a long history of successful cooperation to promote freedom and prosperity. We will continue this work for the benefit of our citizens.”
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, expressed her belief that the United States and the European Union are more than just allies; their international partnership brings together 800 million citizens. In her greeting, she called on Trump to work together to strengthen the transatlantic plan, which should benefit both sides.
Like Orbán, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to Trump’s victory by calling it ‘the greatest comeback in history.’
Polish President Andrzej Duda was succinct, congratulating Trump with the following words on his social media account X:
“Congratulations, Mr President Donald Trump. You did it!’.
In his congratulatory post, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he hoped to strengthen relations between Turkey and the United States and end the war in Ukraine, and called Trump his friend.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said he looked forward to new cooperation with the United States to promote peace and expressed hope that this victory would help preserve the unity of the bloc.
Moldovan President Maia Sandu also expressed her congratulations to Trump and stressed the value of the friendly relations between Moldova and the United States, hoping to further deepen cooperation.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili joined Trump’s congratulations, noting in her congratulatory post that Georgia needs his support now more than ever. She expressed her hope for US support in Georgia’s integration into Euro-Atlantic structures, strengthening regional security, stability and defence of the country’s freedom and independence, saying:
“Congratulations on your election, Mr President. Our strong American strategic partner and 33-year friend is now needed to support Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic integration.”
