World leaders react as Trump nears White House victory

A flurry of world leaders on Wednesday sent their congratulations to Donald Trump after the former U.S. president triumphantly declared a “magnificent” election victory.

NBC News is yet to project a winner of the presidential race.

Addressing his supporters in Florida, Trump said his return to the White House would usher in the “golden age” of America.

His comments came shortly after he secured his third battleground victory of the evening, putting him on the verge of securing a second four-year term.

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer congratulated Trump on his “historic” election victory, saying the U.K.-U.S. “special relationship will continue to prosper on both sides of the Atlantic for years to come.”

Likewise, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban all offered their congratulations to Trump.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy congratulated Trump on what he described as his “impressive election victory.”

“I appreciate President Trump’s commitment to the ‘peace through strength’ approach in global affairs. This is exactly the principle that can practically bring just peace in Ukraine closer. I am hopeful that we will put it into action together,” Zelenskyy via social media.

“We look forward to an era of a strong United States of America under President Trump’s decisive leadership. We rely on continued strong bipartisan support for Ukraine in the United States,” he added.

Zelenskyy’s comments come as tensions are likely to be running high in Kyiv, with the vote regarded as a potentially make-or-break moment in the country’s years-long fight against Russia.

Ukrainian officials were said to be closely watching the U.S. election result amid concerns that future military aid to the eastern European country could be cut — a move that would significantly curtail Kyiv’s ability to fight back against Russia’s full-scale invasion.

Russia, meanwhile, appeared to be buoyed by news that Trump is on track to secure a White House victory.

“Trump has one quality that is useful to us: as a businessman to the core, he mortally dislikes spending money on various hangers-on and freeloaders – on idiotic allies, on stupid charity projects and on gluttonous international organizations,” Dmitry Medvedev, Russia’s former president, said via Telegram, according to an NBC translation.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said via Telegram: “Kamala Harris was right when she quoted Psalm 31:5: ‘Weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.'”

“Hallelujah, I’d add from my part,” Zakharova said, according to an NBC translation

Separately, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Trump’s leadership would be key to keeping the military alliance strong.

“I look forward to working with him again to advance peace through strength through #NATO,” Rutte said.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan congratulated Trump on his apparent election victory.

“In this new period that will begin with the elections of the American people, I hope that Turkey-US relations will strengthen, that regional and global crises and wars, especially the Palestinian issue and the Russia-Ukraine war, will come to an end; I believe that more efforts will be made for a more just world,” Erdoğan said.

“I hope that the elections will be beneficial for our friendly and allied people in the United States and for all of humanity,” he added.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Trump on his “historic election victory.”

“As you build on the successes of your previous term, I look forward to renewing our collaboration to further strengthen the India-US Comprehensive Global and Strategic Partnership. Together, let’s work for the betterment of our people and to promote global peace, stability and prosperity,” Modi said.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also offered his congratulations to Trump.

“Australians and Americans are great friends and true allies. Working together, we can ensure the partnership between our nations and peoples remains strong into the future,” Albanese said.

Elsewhere, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered his congratulations to both Donald and Melania Trump.

“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,” Netanyahu said. “This is a huge victory!” he added.

Not everyone sent their warm wishes to Trump, however.

“The U.S. presidential election holds no direct relevance to Iran, as the fundamental policies of both the United States and Iran remain unchanged,” Iranian government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said in a statement, according to the country’s semi-official news agency, Tasnim.

“It makes little difference who becomes president, as there will be no impact on people’s livelihoods,” Mohajerani said.