World Reaction to Trump Victory

Rockefeller Center is lit up to reflect the results of the U.S. electoral college votes in New York, U.S., November 9, 2016. REUTERS/Mark Kauzlarich TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Rockefeller Center is lit up to reflect the results of the electoral college votes. (Reuters/Mark Kauzlarich)

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Latest on world reaction to Trump’s victory (all times EST): Please refresh this page for more updates.

7:40 a.m.

French President Francois Hollande says the election of Donald Trump “opens a period of uncertainty. It must be faced with lucidity and clarity.”

In brief remarks after the weekly Cabinet meeting, Hollande congratulated Trump “as is natural between two heads of state,” but showed little enthusiasm. Hollande had openly endorsed Hillary Clinton and said Wednesday he was thinking of her.

Hollande said “certain positions taken by Donald Trump during the American campaign must be confronted with the values and interests we share with the United States.”

He says “what is at stake is peace, the fight against terrorism, the situation in the Middle East. It is economic relations and the preservation of the planet.”

___

7:30 a.m.

The Taliban have called on Donald Trump to withdraw all U.S. forces from Afghanistan once he takes office as president.

In a statement sent to The Associated Press, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said Wednesday that a Trump administration “should allow Afghans to become a free nation and have relationships with other countries based on non-interference in each other’s affairs.”

The Afghan conflict is in its 16th year. The Taliban have spread their footprint across Afghanistan in the two years since most international combat troops withdrew.

President Barack Obama expanded U.S. troops’ mandate to enable them to work more closely on the battlefield with their Afghan counterparts, and to conduct counter-terrorism operations against al-Qaida, the Islamic State terror group and the Taliban.

___

7:25 a.m.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has conveyed his congratulations to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, saying he looked forward to working with Trump on promoting ties in a “constructive” way that avoids conflict and confrontation.

During his campaign, Trump accused China of illegally subsidizing exports, manipulating its currency and stealing intellectual property.

State broadcaster CCTV reported Wednesday that Xi said the two biggest economies in the world shared common interests and shouldered a “special and important responsibility in upholding world peace.”

Xi says: “I highly value China-U.S. relations and am looking forward to working with you to expand cooperation in all fields, including in bilateral, regional and global aspects.” He says he expects they would “manage differences in a constructive way, in the spirit of non-conflict, non-confrontation, mutual respect, cooperation and win-win.”

___

7:05 a.m.

The president of Slovenia — small Alpine nation that is the home country of future U.S. First Lady Melania Trump — says he hopes relations with the U.S. will further improve during Donald Trump’s presidency.

President Boris Pahor says Wednesday “we are allied as part of NATO and I will strive for the friendship and the alliance to deepen further.”

Pahor also says “American people have the right to decide on their leader.” Prime Minister Miro Cerar has also congratulated the Trumps in an online post.

Melania Trump was born in the industrial Slovenian town of Sevnica.

___

6:55 a.m.

Russian President Vladimir Putin says Moscow is ready to try to restore good relations with the United States in the wake of the election of Donald Trump.

Putin said Wednesday at a ceremony accepting the credentials of new ambassadors that “we aware that it is a difficult path, in view of the unfortunate degradation of relations between the Russian Federation and the United States.”

Putin says “it is not our fault that Russian-American relations are in such a state.”

Earlier, the Kremlin said Putin sent Trump a telegram of congratulation, expressing “his hope to work together for removing Russian-American relations from their crisis state.”

Putin also says ties between Moscow and Washington must be “based on principles of equality, mutual respect and a real accounting each other’s positions.”

___

6:40 a.m.

Without commenting directly on Donald Trump’s election, China’s government says Beijing hopes to work with the new U.S. administration to build sustainable ties and expressed confidence the two countries can handle trade disputes maturely.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang told reporters in Beijing on Wednesday that China is “looking forward to making concerted efforts with the new U.S. government to ensure the sustainable, steady and sound development of bilateral relations” to benefit both countries’ people and the world.

Asked about U.S. voters’ anger about economic losses blamed on Chinese exports, Lu said only that the two countries had established ways to deal with trade disputes. He says “as mature, large countries, China and the U.S. are able to handle such issues.”

___

6:10 a.m.

Cambodia’s long-serving authoritarian prime minister Hun Sen has congratulated Donald Trump on his U.S. presidential election victory.

On his official social media page, Hun Sen called Trump “your excellency” and pointed out that he’d announced his support for the Republican candidate several days earlier.

He says “American voters have shown their choice to elect your excellency…  My support for your candidacy is not wrong either.”

Hun Sen has kept a tight grip on Cambodian politics for three decades by silencing critics with lawsuits, intimidation and other tactics.

___

6:05 a.m.

European Union leaders have invited U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to come visit the 28-nation bloc as soon as possible to assess trans-Atlantic ties.

With “sincere congratulations,” EU Council President Donald Tusk and his Commission counterpart Jean-Claude Juncker said that, despite Trump’s campaign talk of protectionism and isolationism, both sides “should consolidate the bridges we have been building across the Atlantic.”

Tusk famously quoted his wife during the U.S. election campaign, saying that “One Donald is more than enough!”

After Wednesday’s shock election result, Tusk and Juncker said that “it is more important than ever to strengthen trans-Atlantic relations.” That is why they invited Trump to come over for a visit “at your earliest convenience.”

___

5:00 a.m.

Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday that the U.S. election results would have no effect on Tehran’s policies, state news agency IRNA quoted him as saying, noting that Iran’s expanding economic ties with the world were irreversible.

“The results of the U.S. election have no effect on the policies of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Rouhani said.

“Iran’s policy for constructive engagement with the world and the lifting of nuclear-related sanctions have made our economic relations with all countries expanding and irreversible.”

He added that Iran’s nuclear deal with six world powers has been reflected in a United Nation Security Council resolution and cannot be dismissed by one government.

___

4:50 a.m.

Indonesia’s president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo says the world’s most populous Muslim nation will work with Donald Trump’s new U.S. administration.

He says “we will keep good relations, especially in trade and investment as we know the U.S. is one of Indonesia’s major investors. I think there will be no change.”

But, Komaruddin Hidayat, a noted Indonesian Islamic scholar, says Trump’s election as U.S. president is “shocking” for many people in Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim nation.

Hidayat, who is also rector of Indonesia’s state-run Islamic University, says Trump has signaled backing for ultra-nationalist, isolationist and protectionist policies that could be harmful.

He says “Trump’s isolationist policy will certainly harm Americans because in the era of globalization no country can live alone.”

___

4:45 a.m.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has sent his “heartfelt congratulations” to Donald Trump for his election as the next U.S. president.

Abe says that “as a very successful businessman with extraordinary talents, not only you made a great contribution to the growth of the U.S. economy, but now as a strong leader, you have demonstrated your determination to lead the United States.”

Abe, in the statement, reminded Trump of the importance of the Asia-Pacific region, saying its peace and stability is “a driving force of the global economy” that also brings peace and prosperity to the U.S., reminding him of the importance of the region.

He also told reporters at the prime minister’s office that the two countries are “unwavering allies” bonded with universal values and that he hoped to further strengthen the ties.

Abe said that “I hope to tackle various global challenges together with President-elect Trump.”

___

4:25 a.m.

Egypt’s president has congratulated Donald Trump on winning the U.S. presidential election, saying Cairo wants to see more “cooperation and coordination” between the two nations to bolster stability and peace in the Middle East.

According to a statement by his office on Wednesday, President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi telephoned Trump to offer his congratulations. He also invited the next U.S. president to visit Egypt.

Cairo receives more than $1 billion dollar annually in U.S. military and economic aid under an assistance program that began in the 1970s to reward Egypt for signing a peace treaty with Israel.

El-Sissi met separately with Trump and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in New York in September. El-Sissi later said in an interview with CNN that Trump “without a doubt” would make a strong leader.

___

4:20 a.m.

Germany’s foreign minister says the outcome of the U.S. presidential election is “different than most people in Germany would have wanted, but of course we have to respect it.”

Frank-Walter Steinmeier says that Donald Trump’s victory means “nothing is going to get easier. A lot will get harder.”

But he told reporters in Berlin on Wednesday that it was important to maintain good trans-Atlantic relations which he likened to “the foundations of the West.”

He said Germany would seek dialogue with the Trump administration, but warned that American foreign policy would likely become “less predictable.”

___

4:15 a.m.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says he’s looking forward to working with U.S. president-elect Donald Trump and that U.S. leadership is vital to the world’s biggest military alliance.

Stoltenberg said Wednesday that “it is important that the Trans-Atlantic bond remains strong” and that “U.S. leadership is as important as ever.”

Trump has criticized many allies for not paying their fair share of the NATO budget.

Stoltenberg said he looks forward to welcoming Trump at next Spring’s NATO summit, to be held in the alliance’s sprawling new premises in Brussels.

___

4:05 a.m.

Malaysia’s prime minister has congratulated Donald Trump on his “extraordinary victory,” saying his success showed that politicians should never take voters for granted.

Najib Razak is a possible beneficiary of what could be an inward-looking U.S. under a Trump presidency. He is embroiled in a scandal over the alleged theft by his associates of several billion dollars from a state investment fund. A U.S. Justice Department probe has linked Najib to the embezzlement.

Najib said opinion polls and established political figures all underestimated the strength of Trump’s support.

He said that Trump’s “appeal to Americans who have been left behind, those who want to see their government more focused on their interests and welfare, and less embroiled in foreign interventions that proved to be against U.S. interests, have won Mr. Trump the White House.”

___

4:04 a.m.

British Prime Minister Theresa May congratulated Donald Trump on winning the U.S. presidency on Wednesday, saying Britain and the United States would remain “strong and close partners on trade, security and defense.”

In a statement, May said Trump had won a “hard-fought campaign” and that she wanted the “special relationship” between Britain and the United States to endure.

“I would like to congratulate Donald Trump on being elected the next president of the United States, following a hard-fought campaign,” May said.

“Britain and the United States have an enduring and special relationship based on the values of freedom, democracy and enterprise. We are, and will remain, strong and close partners on trade, security and defense.”

“I look forward to working with President-elect Donald Trump, building on these ties to ensure the security and prosperity of our nations in the years ahead.”

3:50 a.m.

Turkey’s prime minister has called on Donald Trump to extradite a U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen — blamed by Ankara for the failed coup in July — as soon as he is sworn in.

Binali Yildirim also said Wednesday that he hoped that the new leadership in the United States would take into consideration Turkey’s “sensitivities concerning the fight against terrorism,” and give priority to policies that would bring peace and stability to the region and advance traditional friendship between the two countries.

Ties between the two allies have been strained over perceptions in Turkey that the United States is reluctant to arrest and extradite Gulen. Turkey’s is also frustrated by Washington’s backing to Syrian Kurdish militia that are fighting the Islamic State in Syria and which Ankara considers to be a terrorist group.

___

3:40 a.m.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Donald Trump in a message posted on social media.

Modi wrote that “we appreciate the friendship you have articulated toward India during your campaign.

He added that “we look forward to working with you closely to take India-U.S. bilateral ties to a new height.”

Trump had reached out to Indian-American voters at a rally in New Jersey in mid-October, praising Modi and vowing to defeat terrorism while acknowledging that India had suffered terror strikes, including the deadly 2008 attacks that killed 164 people.

___

3:30 a.m.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who has lashed out at Barack Obama for criticizing his deadly anti-drug crackdown, has congratulated President-elect Donald Trump.

Duterte says he looks forward to working with the new American leader to further enhance the treaty allies’ relations.

Duterte, who took office in June, has had an uneasy relation with the U.S. The 71-year-old leader has announced his desire to scale back joint combat drills with the U.S. military and end the presence of foreign troops, including Americans, in the country in two years.

In Duterte’s statement on Trump’s victory released by his spokesman, however, the tough-talking Philippine leader was unusually diplomatic.

“President Duterte wishes President-elect Trump success in the next four years as chief executive and commander-in chief of the U.S. military, Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said in a statement. Duterte, he said, “looks forward to working with the incoming administration for enhanced Philippines-US relations anchored on mutual respect, mutual benefit and shared commitment to democratic ideals and the rule of law.”

3:25 a.m.

A senior ally of Chancellor Angela Merkel says Germany “must also work together as well as possible with Donald Trump as the new U.S. president.”

Volker Kauder, the parliamentary caucus leader of Merkel’s conservative Union bloc, says that a “close trans-Atlantic partnership continues to be of central significance for Germany and Europe in the coming years.”

Kauder pointed out that Germans and the U.S. share the same set of values and that “especially now we need to work on keeping up the good relations to the U.S.”

German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen, who also belongs to Merkel’s conservative Christian Democrats party, had called the vote in the U.S. “a big shock” earlier on Wednesday.

___

3:20 a.m.

Hungary’s prime minister says Donald Trump’s victory is “great news” and shows “democracy is still alive.”

Prime Minister Viktor Orban has been often criticized by the United States, including by Hillary Clinton when she was secretary of state, for weakening the democratic system of checks and balances. Orban offered his congratulations to Trump on his social media page.

Orban, who returned to power in 2010 and last year built fences on Hungary’s southern borders to stop the flow of migrants heading toward Western Europe, said in July that Trump’s immigration policies made him the best candidate for Hungary and Europe.

In 2014, Orban famously declared his intentions of turning Hungary into an “illiberal state.” His government has also been criticized by the U.S. on issues like corruption, anti-Semitism and media freedom.

___

3:15 a.m.

The European Union’s foreign policy chief says that the trans-Atlantic ties with the United States go beyond the election of Donald Trump.

Federica Mogherini said Wednesday in a social media message that “EU-U.S. ties are deeper than any change in politics. We’ll continue to work together, rediscovering the strength of Europe.”

EU Parliament President Martin Schulz said the result “must be respected” as he said that Trump “managed to become the standard-bearer of the angst and fears of millions of Americans.”

___

3 a.m.

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas says in a statement that he “congratulates the elected American president, Donald Trump, and hopes that peace will be achieved during his term.”

An Abbas aide, Saeb Erekat, said Wednesday he doesn’t expect U.S. positions on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to change under Trump.

Erekat said the Republican and Democratic parties are both committed to a two-state solution and “I think this will not change with the coming administration.”

Trump has proposed moving the U.S. Embassy to Yerushalayim.

___

2:55 a.m.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has sent Donald Trump a telegram of congratulation on winning the U.S. presidential election.

In a brief statement Wednesday, the Kremlin said Putin expressed “his hope to work together for removing Russian-American relations from their crisis state.”

Putin also said he has “confidence that building a constructive dialogue between Moscow and Washington that is based on principles of equality, mutual respect and a real accounting each other’s positions, is in the interests of our peoples and the world community.”

___

2:30 a.m.

Russia’s lower house of parliament is applauding the election of Donald Trump as the next U.S. president.

State news agency RIA-Novosti says Vyacheslav Novikov, a member of the foreign affairs committee from the governing United Russia party, addressed the State Duma on Wednesday morning.

Novikov said that “three minutes ago, Hillary Clinton acknowledged her defeat in the U.S. presidential elections and just a second ago, Trump began his speech as president-elect. I congratulate all of you on this.”

The chamber, where the pro-Kremlin party holds an overwhelming majority, then broke into applause, the report said.

___

2:25 a.m.

Turkey’s justice minister says a change of presidents in the United States won’t make a big difference to the “deep-rooted” relations between the two countries.

Bekiz Bozdag told the state-run Anadolu Agency on Wednesday: “in essence our relations are relations between two states and we hope that under the new presidential term the Turkish-U.S. relations will be much better. That is our expectation.”

Bozdag noted that Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s win came despite intense campaigning in favor of his rival Hillary Clinton.

“I saw an intense campaign for Hillary Clinton’s victory. Artists, sportsmen, all personalities worked for Clinton’s victory. But in elections, it is important to embrace the people,” Bozdag said. “No one has won elections through newspaper headlines, opinion polls or television (campaigns).”

___

1:45 a.m.

Japan is sending a top official to Washington to try to meet with those who will be responsible for the next White House administration.

Katsuyuki Kawai, a political aide to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in charge of diplomacy, told reporters after meeting with Abe that he had been instructed to visit Washington as early as next week.

Abe’s instruction came when results showed Republican candidate Donald Trump with a clear lead. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said it was not because Japan was unprepared for Trump’s win.

He said: “We have been preparing so that we can respond to any situation because our stance is that our alliance with the U.S. remains to be the cornerstone of our diplomacy whoever becomes the next president.”

___

1:25 a.m.

German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen calls the strong vote for Donald Trump “a big shock,” and the U.S. elections “a vote against Washington, against the establishment.”

Von der Leyen said on German media Wednesday that while many questions remain open, “We Europeans obviously know that as partners in the NATO, Donald Trump will naturally ask what ‘are you achieving for the alliance,’ but we will also ask ‘what’s your stand toward the alliance.'”

The defense minister said that behind the scenes the German government would try to make contacts on the working level to find out who are the new contact persons.

 

To Read The Full Story

Are you already a subscriber?
Click to log in!