US allies react to Joe Biden dropping out of 2024 election race
LONDON ― Praise, acknowledgment it was a difficult decision, maybe a little relief.
These were some of the reactions from world leaders and officials to President Joe Biden's Sunday announcement that he was dropping out of the presidential race. Biden had been under intense pressure to step aside after a poor performance in a June debate against former President Donald Trump that highlighted concerns about his age.
While diplomatic protocol tends to limit what American allies will say in public about an active U.S. election, many international officials applauded what Biden had, in their view, done to give new energy to the NATO military alliance, his administration's support for Ukraine and for democratic principles around the world.
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Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that thanks to Biden "transatlantic cooperation is close, NATO is strong and the USA is a good and reliable partner." British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he made his "decision based on what he believes is in the best interests of the American people." Taiwanese lawmaker Wang Ting-yu said his country "appreciated" Biden's support for Taiwan "including arm sales and military aid."
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has had his differences with Biden over the country's war against Hamas in Gaza and other issues. However, Netanyahu said that when he arrives in Washington this week for a joint address to Congress he plans "to see President Biden, whom I've known for over 40 years. This will be an opportunity to thank him for the things he did for Israel in the war and during his long and distinguished career in public service."
Still, lurking beneath the admiration and gratitude for Biden's long political career may be a sigh of relief.
European officials have been saying in private for months that they were concerned about Biden's electability and what the impact of a second Trump presidency could mean for NATO, Ukraine and international cooperation.
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Michael Martins, the founder of London-based Overton Advisory, a political consultancy, said there is "low-level anxiety" in Europe about the implications of another Trump White House on U.S. foreign policy. He said this was particularly acute for nations in Eastern Europe, which are "much more exposed" to Russian aggression.
Trump has warned NATO allies he would encourage Russia "to do whatever the hell they want” to countries that don't pay their way in the alliance. He has also said he would consider letting Russia "take over" parts of Ukraine in a deal to end the war ? and that he could easily resolve it in a single day.
One senior European official who spoke on the condition of anonymity Monday so as not to upset an administration his country may end up having to work with with said "everyone" ? U.S. allies ? was watching the election closely.
"People are trying to figure out what are the next steps and the consequences for themselves or their countries."
Biden has endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, effectively giving her a leg-up in the fight for the Democratic nomination, though it's not clear she will be the candidate or be able to beat Trump.
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There was less restraint in Russia, which used the announcement to bash Biden and the U.S. political system.
"The next step after Biden's written statement about withdrawing from the election race should be an investigation into the collusion of the American media and political circles," said Maria Zakharova, the spokeswoman for Moscow’s foreign ministry. Zakharova said that U.S. media and system had "hid the true state of affairs about his mental state, manipulating public opinion and playing along with one political party."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What US allies think of Biden dropping out of 2024 election