World reacts to Biden’s victory as Trump's defeat sinks in

World leaders keep issuing reactions to Joe Biden’s victory over Donald Trump in the US presidential elections, most urging the 46th American president to rectify his predecessor’s unprecedented mistakes.

On Saturday and after four days of uncertainty, the Democrat eventually surpassed the 270 electoral votes he needed to oust Trump, who had expressed confidence he would secure a second term.

As signs of Biden's victory were becoming clearer, Trump vigorously repeated his allegations of electoral fraud and vowed to force a recount in some swing states. After the race was called by multiple news organizations, Trump released a statement claiming the election was "far from over" and vowing to take it to the courts.

Joe Biden elected 46th president of the United States

Joe Biden becomes the 46th president of the United States after winning the pivotal state of Pennsylvania.

Despite Trump’s allegations and his refusal to concede so far, a sustained trend of reactions has followed in a sign of relative universal readiness for his departure.

Allies and post-Trump ‘PSTD’

These have included messages from the US’s traditionally strongest Western allies, ties with whom took a record blow under Trump.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told Biden, “I look forward to working closely together on our shared priorities, from climate change to trade and security.”

German Chancellor Angela Merkel also welcomed “future cooperation with President Biden,” reminding, “Our transatlantic friendship is irreplaceable if we are to master the great challenges of our time.” Trump notoriously ignored a request from Merkel for a handshake during a meeting, leaving her in sheer surprise.

French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted, “The Americans have chosen their President.” “We have a lot to do to overcome today’s challenges. Let’s work together!”

Among many other international agreements, Trump quit the Paris Climate Accord, withdrawing the world’s second-biggest greenhouse gases emitter from the historic deal, and imposed tariffs on European imports.

Trump unilaterally withdrew the US from a number of other international agreements, including from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, a historic nuclear accord between Iran and other countries, including the European trio.

Many current and former officials as well as observers say the actions have done such damage to the transatlantic alliance, which is hard to fix if not totally irreparable.

“The transatlantic relationship has never been this bad. The trust between the US and Europe is not there anymore,” said a senior European diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity to Reuters. “It can be repaired, but ... I’m not sure it will be the same.”

“Now in Europe, leaders and people have realized that you conclude agreements with the US and four years later, the following administration throws the agreements in the garbage,” the diplomat said, adding, “So there is a question of credibility and reliability of the US.”

“Memories of Trump will remain and create a certain degree of background anxiety in what future US presidents might do,” said Michael O’Hanlon of the Brookings Institution think tank in Washington, describing it as an “alliance PTSD.”

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he looked forward to tackling “the world’s greatest challenges” with the new administration.

Trump’s mannerisms did not spare close ally Ottawa either. He had called Trudeau “very dishonest and weak,” slapped tariffs on Canadian metals exports, and threatened to scrap a continental trade deal that underpins Canada’s economic prosperity.

Spain’s far-left Deputy Prime Minister Pablo Iglesias called Trump’s departure “good news for the planet, as the global far right loses its most powerful political asset,” and Polish President Andrzej Duda congratulated Biden on running “a successful presidential campaign.”

Who’s silent, who’s not so happy?

Some have, however, either kept silent, sounded not as jubilant about Trump’s defeat, or even thanked him for his decisions, including those, who used to heavily support Trump’s controversial decisions or benefit from them.

Saudi Arabia is yet to react. The kingdom’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman spared international scrutiny thanks to Trump’s support, despite strong indications linking him to the 2018 murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul. The kingdom has also been receiving heavy arms, logistical, and political support for its war on Yemen under the Trump administration and enjoyed strong backing from it in its efforts to demonize regional powerhouse Iran.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked Trump “for the friendship” with the occupying regime “and me personally.” He reminded how Trump recognized “Israeli sovereignty” over the holy occupied city of Jerusalem al-Quds and Syria’s occupied Golan Heights, and brought “the American-Israeli alliance to unprecedented heights.”

Hungary’s President Viktor Orban, who had endorsed Trump’s re-election bid and accused Biden’s fellow Democrats of “moral imperialism,” is also yet to felicitate the president-elect on the occasion of the victory.

Elsewhere across the world

In Palestine, Palestine Liberation Organization member and leader Hanan Ashrawi hailed that America had been “Detrumped,” adding, “The world also needs to be able to breathe.”

She reminded, though, “We don’t expect miraculous transformation, but at least we expect the dangerous destructive policies of Trump to totally stop,” while the Gaza-based resistance movement of Hamas urged Biden to revise the historical trend of cruel policies against the Palestinian nation.

Elsewhere in the Middle East, Jordan’s King Abdullah II, Lebanon's President Michel Aoun, Oman's Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said, Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Iraq’s President Barham Salih, and Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi also congratulated Biden.

Trump’s closest allies in Arab world congratulate Biden on victory

Leaders of several Arab countries, which used to be closest allies of US President Donald Trump, are extending congratulations to his Democratic rival Joe Biden over his victory, even though the incumbent has yet to concede defeat.

Congratulatory messages also came in from Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga.

Breaking with the rest of the world, though, Mexico's president Lopez Obrador said he would not congratulate Biden until, what he called legal challenges to the victory were resolved.

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