Global Leaders Congratulate Trump But His Victory Looks Set to Roil the World — Again

London: verdict of US voters was more decisive than most pollsters and pundits h predicted. w world waits to see wher election of Donald Trump as president for a second time will prove as destabilising as many American allies fear.

Trump secured victory Wednesday when he surpassed 270 electoral college votes needed to win. In a victory speech before official declaration, he vowed to “put our country first” and bring about a “golden ” for America.

Trump's first term saw him insult and alienate many of United States' longstanding allies. His return to White House, four years after losing office to President Joe Biden , has huge consequences for everything from global tre to climate change to multiple crises and conflicts around world.

Trump has pledged to ramp up a tariff feud with China, United States' growing ecomic and strategic rival. In Middle East, Trump has pledged, without saying how, to end conflicts between Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah. He has also vowed to end Russia-Ukraine war within 24 hours of taking office – something Ukraine and its supporters fear would be on terms favorable to Moscow.

Here's how leers and ors around world are reacting: 

NATO is nervous and Ukraine is anxious 

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte congratulated Trump, saying, “I look forward to working with him again to vance peace through strength through NATO” in face of “a growing number of challenges globally,” including “ increasing alignment of China, Russia, rth Korea and Iran.” Trump was a strong critic of rth Atlantic military alliance during his first term, accusing its or members of failing to pull ir weight. Earlier this year he said United States would t defend NATO members that don't meet defence spending targets. Trump wants European allies to boost ir own military spending to rely less on US deterrence, but some European leers and diplomats have expressed fears that he fundamentally lacks commitment to NATO.

Rutte emphasised positive, praising Trump for his work persuing member states to ramp up defence spending and saying NATO was w “stronger, larger, and more united.” America's allies are — belatedly, some say — grappling with what to do if y cant depend on US for ir defence.

" existential concern for Europeans has been what happens to Ukraine, what happens to Europe's security, what happens to America's commitment to NATO?” said Leslie Vinjamuri, director of US and Americas program at think tank Chatham House. “Will America be re for Europe?” US is by far Kyiv's biggest military backer as it battles Russian invasion, though Biden ministration resisted pressure from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to do even more. Zelenskyy, like Rutte, said he welcomed Trump's “peace through strength” approach.

“This is exactly principle that can practically bring just peace in Ukraine closer,” Zelenskyy wrote on social media. “I am hopeful that we will put it into action toger. We look forward to an era of a strong United States of America under President Trump's decisive leership.” Zelenskyy later wrote that he h spoken to Trump and congratulated him on “his historic landslide victory - his tremendous campaign me this result possible. I praised his family and team for ir great work. We agreed to maintain close dialogue and vance our cooperation.” congratulations were forthcoming from Moscow, where President Vlimir Putin 's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, declared that Russia-US relations were at “lowest point in history.” 

European congratulations mask deep divisions 

European leers rushed to congratulate Trump even before his victory was officially declared — some more effusively than ors.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called it a “historic election victory” and said that “as closest of allies, UK and US will continue to work toger to protect our shared values of freedom and democracy.” Like governments of US allies around world, Starmer's center-left ministration has worked hard to forge ties with Trump and his team. Starmer h dinner with Trump at Trump Tower in September.

France's centrist President Emmanuel Macron offered congratulations, “respect and ambition.” Social Democratic German Chancellor Olaf Scholz congratulated Trump and said he wanted continued close ties, even if “surely many things will be different under a Donald Trump-led ministration.” Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, whose far right-led government is in some ways close to Trump politically, said Italy and US h a “strategic bond, which I am sure we will w strengn even more.” European leers are keen to stress that transatlantic relationship transcends individual politicians, but Trump's protectionist ecomic leanings are causing concern. During his last term he slapped tariffs on European steel and aluminum, roiling bloc's ecomy.

A Middle East in turmoil awaits Trump's moves 

During his first term, Trump pushed to remake Middle East by reconciling Israel and Saudi Arabia, and all eyes w are on how he intervenes in region’s raging conflicts between Israel and Hamas in Gaza and Israel and Hezbollah in Leban — and chief backer of two militant groups, Iran.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Trump’s election win “history’s greatest comeback.”

“Your historic return to White House offers a new beginning for America and a powerful recommitment to great alliance between Israel and America. This is a huge victory!” he wrote on social media.

Trump and Netanyahu — a fellow conservative nationalist — h a tight relationship during former president’s first term, but ties soured when Netanyahu congratulated President Joe Biden on winning in 2020.

Netanyahu’s inner circle hopes Trump will allow Israel free rein against its enemies, but president-elect is famously unpredictable, and Israeli leer faces strong opposition at home. On Tuesday he fired popular Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, a surprise anuncement that sparked protests across country.

Hamas issued a terse statement saying, “Our position on new U.S. ministration depends on its positions and practical behavior towards our Palestinian people, ir legitimate rights and ir just cause.”

Washington is one of key mediators of so-far unsuccessful Gaza cease-fire talks. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, ar key player in regional peace efforts who h close ties to Trump during his first ministration, said Egypt looked forward “to arriving toger at achieving peace and preservation of stability in region.”

Or African leers, including South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, also sent congratulations.

challenge of China still looms

Chinese leer Xi Jinping called for U.S. and China to man ir differences and get along in a new era in a congratulatory mess to Trump.

He told Trump that history has shown that both sides gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation, according to Chinese state media.

But analysts in China were pessimistic, citing likelihood of escalating tariffs and an intensifying confrontation over Taiwan.

“It is t all dark, but re are more challenges than opportunities,” said Da Wei, director of Center for International Security and Strategy at Tsinghua University in Beijing. “We are clear about challenges. As for opportunities, we are yet to see m clearly.”

Long-seething territorial disputes in South China Sea are a fault line in U.S.-China rivalry in Asia and likely will remain a major foreign policy concern for next American president.

Asian leers apprehensive about China’s growing clout and rth Korea’s nuclear program, clamored for Trump’s attention in congratulatory messs.

“I hope to closely cooperate with President-elect Trump to furr elevate Japan-U.S. alliance and relations to even higher levels,” Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said Korea-U.S. alliance “will shine brighter,” under Trump’s ”strong leership.”

But Phillips O’Brien, professor of strategic studies at University of St. Andrews, said Washington’s allies in Indo-Pacific, including Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and even Australia, “can longer look for U.S.A. to be a reliable partner in defense.”

Neighbors hope for good relations

United States’ neighbors in Americas, some of whom bore impact of Trump’s protectionist instincts during his first term, also braced for uncertainty.

Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum told Mexicans “re is reason to worry,” despite Trump’s previous threats to impose tre tariffs on Mexican products unless country does more to stem flow of migrants and drugs to U.S.

Canian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau — previously derided by Trump as “weak” and “dishonest” — wrote on X: “ friendship between Cana and U.S. is envy of world. I kw President Trump and I will work toger to create more opportunity, prosperity, and security for both of our nations.”

Brazil’s left-leaning President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva congratulated Trump — despite having endorsed Kamala Harris days ago.

“Democracy is voice of people and must always be respected,” Lula said on X.