The world prepares for Donald Trump's return to the White House
- Ukraine seeks to maintain US support as EU calls for ‘unity’
- US allies in the Middle East celebrate Trump's return
- China calls on Trump for ‘mutual respect and peaceful coexistence’
Republican leader Donald Trump will become the 47th president of the United States after defeating Democrat Kamala Harris, who has already conceded her defeat in a speech in which she vowed to continue ‘fighting for a future in which Americans can pursue their dreams, ambitions and aspirations’.
Harris has also personally called Trump to ease him into his ‘historic’ victory, according to Steven Cheung, Trump's campaign communications director. For his part, during the phone call, Trump praised the strength, professionalism and tenacity of the Democratic candidate throughout the campaign, and both agreed on the importance of unifying the country.
Trump also spoke with Joe Biden, who invited him to the White House to begin addressing the handover of the administration before he is sworn in on 20 January. Biden expressed his commitment to ensuring ‘a smooth transition and emphasised the importance of working to bring the country together’.
In addition to the call from Harris and Biden, Trump has received numerous congratulatory messages from top world leaders that hint at the future of relations between the United States and various countries under Trump's leadership.
Regarding his future foreign policy, Trump has made several statements that could transform Washington's relationship with its allies and adversaries. The US tycoon has pledged to end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours, a promise that many believe involves the withdrawal of US aid to Ukraine, which would benefit Russia.
Congratulations to @realDonaldTrump on his impressive election victory!
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) November 6, 2024
I recall our great meeting with President Trump back in September, when we discussed in detail the Ukraine-U.S. strategic partnership, the Victory Plan, and ways to put an end to Russian aggression against…
Because of the Republicans' stance on Ukraine and the sending of military aid, the congratulatory message from Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky has been one of the most anticipated after Trump's victory at the polls.
After congratulating Trump, the two leaders held a telephone conversation in which they pledged to ‘maintain a close dialogue’ and deepen cooperation between Washington and Kiev, especially on issues of security and regional stability, Zelensky confirmed on his social networks.
The Ukrainian leader described the conversation as ‘excellent’, assuring that both countries will share a common vision in defence of peace and freedom. ‘Strong and unwavering US leadership is vital for the world and for a just peace,’ he added.
Ukraine seeks to maintain US support as EU calls for ‘unity’
For Kiev, US support is key during the war with Russia, so Zelensky will try to ensure that the new administration maintains its backing for Ukraine in the face of Moscow's invasion.
On the other hand, Russia has pointed out that the future of relations between Moscow and Washington will be in the hands of the next US president, although it is ‘practically impossible’ for bilateral ties to ‘worsen’, given the strong tensions between the two countries.
‘Relations are at their lowest point,’ said Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who stressed that for the Kremlin the United States is ‘a hostile country directly and indirectly involved in a war‘ against Russia.
Trump's possible reduction of military aid to Ukraine is also worrying NATO and the European Union in the face of the president's ‘America First’ rhetoric. In addition to defence and security issues, Europe fears the tycoon's protectionist and isolationist trade policy.
That is why, after congratulating the new president, the French and German leaders, Emmanuel Macron and Olaf Scholz, also called for unity and coordination among EU countries.
‘The European Union must stand united and act united,’ Scholz said during a press conference after a meeting with Macron, who stressed that he would work for a united and stronger Europe in ‘the new context‘.
Donald Trump a été élu par les Américains pour défendre l’intérêt des Américains.
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) November 7, 2024
La question qui se pose à nous, Européens, c’est sommes-nous prêts à défendre l’intérêt des Européens ? pic.twitter.com/mWESA8qyjV
US allies in the Middle East celebrate Trump's return
The Israeli government has celebrated Trump's ‘historic’ return to the White House. From Jerusalem they consider that Trump's return ‘offers a new beginning for the United States and a powerful renewed commitment to the great alliance between Israel and the United States’, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stressed in a statement.
The election result is a shot in the arm for the Israeli government after several disagreements with the Democratic Biden administration over the conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon, wars that have also left Israel increasingly isolated internationally.
Dear Donald and Melania Trump,
— Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) November 6, 2024
Congratulations on history’s greatest comeback!
Your historic return to the White House offers a new beginning for America and a powerful recommitment to the great alliance between Israel and America.
This is a huge victory!
In true friendship,… pic.twitter.com/B54NSo2BMA
In addition to bolstering Washington's support for Israel during the war, Jerusalem hopes that a new Trump administration can push forward the Abraham Accords by finally reaching a normalisation agreement with Saudi Arabia.
Trump is also expected to adopt a more aggressive policy against the Islamic Republic of Iran and its regional proxies. During his previous term, he unilaterally withdrew from the nuclear deal with Tehran and implemented more sanctions against the regime, raising tensions that persist today.
For the time being, shortly after Trump's victory, the Iranian currency fell to an all-time low, exchanging at an all-time low of 710,000 rials to the dollar.
In the Middle East, Washington's key allies, such as Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt, have welcomed Trump's victory, urging closer ties during his new term.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ‘expressed the Kingdom's aspiration to strengthen the historic and strategic relations between the two countries, wishing the friendly American people progress and prosperity under Trump's leadership’ during a phone call with the Republican leader.
For his part, King Abdullah II of Jordan expressed his willingness to work together ‘in the service of regional and global peace and stability for all’, while Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi underlined Cairo's desire to continue working together with Trump in his new term. Like the Jordanian monarch, Al-Sisi called for cooperation to achieve stability, peace and development in the Middle East region.
Morocco's King Mohammed VI has also congratulated Trump after his victory, stressing his hope that relations between the two allied countries will be further strengthened. The Moroccan monarch took the opportunity to reiterate his thanks to Trump following the historic decision to recognise Morocco's sovereignty over Western Sahara. ‘This decision remains a memorable act for which Morocco will be ‘eternally grateful’, he said.
China calls on Trump for ‘mutual respect and peaceful coexistence’
Another key country in Trump's foreign policy is China, with whom he engaged in a trade war during the early years of his administration. Now, after his election, Beijing has congratulated Trump and stressed its desire for ‘peaceful coexistence’ with the United States.
‘China's policy towards the United States is consistent and clear. We view our relations with the United States under the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and mutually beneficial cooperation,' Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said.
Chinese President Xi Jinping himself congratulated the president-elect during a phone call in which he urged ‘finding ways of understanding between the United States and China’, stressing that ‘the two countries benefit from cooperation and lose from confrontation’.
Meanwhile, Yoon Suk-yeol, president of South Korea, a key US ally in the region, announced that he had agreed during a phone call with Trump to ‘meet soon’. The Asian country hosts around 28,500 US troops on its territory as part of efforts to deter North Korea's nuclear threats. However, during his previous term, Trump criticised Seoul, accusing it of taking advantage of US military power.
In Latin America, right-wing leaders such as Argentina's Javier Milei and El Salvador's Nayib Bukele have celebrated Trump's victory over Harris. For his part, the president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, raised the possibility of taking advantage of this mandate as ‘a new beginning’ in bilateral relations after decades of tension.
