World leaders watching the US election began reacting to President Biden’s decision on Sunday not seeking re-electiondiscusses his relationship with the US president and gives his thoughts on his decision.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “I respect President Biden’s decision and I look forward to working with him for the rest of his presidency.
“I know that, as he has done throughout his extraordinary career, President Biden will make decisions based on what he believes is in the best interest of the American people,” Starmer wrote.
In a statement on social media addressed directly to President Biden, Polish President Donald Tusk said that Mr. Biden’s “many difficult decisions” have helped make Poland, America and the world safer and more democratic.
“I know you are driven by the same motivation when announcing the final decision. Probably the most difficult in your life,” wrote Tusk.
The difficulty of the president’s decision was also highlighted by Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala. “It is always the decision of a statesman who has served his country for decades. It is a responsible and difficult step, but all the more important,” Fiala wrote on social media. “I keep my fingers crossed for the United States that a good president emerges from the democratic competition of two strong and equal candidates.”
Ireland’s deputy prime minister Michael Martin said he heard Mr Biden’s decision “with sadness and admiration.”
Biden, whose family has roots in the country, was welcomed with joy when he visited Ireland last year.
“This was undoubtedly the most difficult call, but one that was completed, as always, with dignity & class. I know the Irish people will wish President Biden the best,” Martin wrote Sunday on social media.
The prime minister of Ireland, Taoiseach Simon Harris, also thanked Mr. Biden in a statement shared on social media, describing the US president as “a voice for reason, effective multilateralism and shared solutions.”
Harris pointed to Mr. Biden’s leadership Russian-Ukrainian war and said he had spoken with the president about the ceasefire plans Israel-Hamas conflictand called him “an unstrained voice and a zealous worker for the peace of the island of Ireland.”
During the 2023 visit, Biden “recited the words of his parents that ‘everyone has the right to be treated with dignity and respect.’ Anyone who knows or has watched Joe Biden knows that it’s more than his words, it’s the way he carries himself in public and in private,” Harris said.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog thanked Mr. Biden “for his steadfast friendship and support for the people of Israel throughout his decades-long career,” in a statement on social media. Biden is facing pressure from his party over the Israel-Hamas conflict.
“As the first US President to visit Israel during wartime, as a recipient of Israel’s Presidential Medal of Honor, and as a true ally of the Jewish people, he is a symbol of the unbreakable bond between our nations,” Herzog said.
Some politicians, such as Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Union Commission, have called for the problems facing the international community. Von der Leyen said statement on social media about the withdrawal, “The EU and the US are partners, friends and allies. We face common challenges together – in Europe, the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific.”
At statementAustralian Prime Minister Albanese praised Mr. Biden’s service, noting “The Australia-US alliance has never been stronger with our shared commitment to democratic values, international security, economic prosperity and climate action for this and future generations.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also spoke about US international cooperation, thanking Mr. Biden, “transatlantic cooperation is close, NATO is strong and the US is a good and reliable partner for us. His decision not to run away again should be respected.”
