Global leaders congratulate Trump but his victory looks set to roil the world -- again

LONDON (AP) — The verdict of U.S. voters was more decisive than most pollsters and pundits had predicted. Now the world waits to see whether the election of Donald Trump as president for a second time will prove as destabilizing as many American allies fear.

Trump secured victory Wednesday when he surpassed the 270 electoral college votes needed to win. In a victory speech before the official declaration, he vowed to “put our country first” and bring about a “golden age” for America.

Trump’s first term saw him insult and alienate many of the United States’ longstanding allies. His return to the White House, four years after losing office to President Joe Biden, has huge consequences for everything from global trade to climate change to multiple crises and conflicts around the world.

Trump has pledged to ramp up a tariff feud with China, the United States’ growing economic and strategic rival. In the Middle East, Trump has pledged, without saying how, to end the conflicts between Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah. He has also vowed to end the Russia-Ukraine war within 24 hours of taking office – something Ukraine and its supporters fear would be on terms favorable to Moscow.

Here’s how leaders and others around the world are reacting:

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte congratulated Trump, saying, “I look forward to working with him again to advance peace through strength through NATO” in the face of “a growing number of challenges globally,” including “the increasing alignment of China, Russia, North Korea and Iran.”

Trump was a strong critic of the North Atlantic military alliance during his first term, accusing its other members of failing to pull their weight. Earlier this year he said the United States would not defend NATO members that don’t meet defense spending targets. Trump wants European allies to boost their own military spending to rely less on U.S. deterrence, but some European leaders and diplomats have expressed fears that he fundamentally lacks commitment to NATO.

Rutte emphasized the positive, praising Trump for his work persuading member states to ramp up defense spending and saying NATO was now “stronger, larger, and more united.”

America’s allies are — belatedly, some say — grappling with what to do if they cannot depend on the U.S. for their defense.

“The existential concern for Europeans has been what happens to Ukraine, what happens to Europe’s security, what happens to America’s commitment to NATO?” said Leslie Vinjamuri, director of the U.S. and Americas program at the think tank Chatham House. “Will America be there for Europe?”

The U.S. is by far Kyiv’s biggest military backer as it battles Russian invasion, though the Biden administration resisted pressure from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to do even more. Zelenskyy, like Rutte, said he welcomed Trump’s “peace through strength” approach.

“This is exactly the principle that can practically bring just peace in Ukraine closer,” Zelenskyy wrote on social media. “I am hopeful that we will put it into action together. We look forward to an era of a strong United States of America under President Trump’s decisive leadership.”

Zelenskyy later wrote that he had spoken to Trump and congratulated him on “his historic landslide victory—his tremendous campaign made this result possible. I praised his family and team for their great work. We agreed to maintain close dialogue and advance our cooperation.”

No congratulations were forthcoming from Moscow, where President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, declared that Russia-U.S. relations were at the “lowest point in history.”

European leaders rushed to congratulate Trump even before his victory was officially declared — some more effusively than others.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called it a “historic election victory” and said that “as the closest of allies, the U.K. and U.S. will continue to work together to protect our shared values of freedom and democracy.”

Like governments of U.S. allies around the world, Starmer’s center-left administration has worked hard to forge ties with Trump and his team. Starmer had dinner with Trump at Trump Tower in September.

France’s centrist President Emmanuel Macron offered congratulations, “respect and ambition.” Social Democratic German Chancellor Olaf Scholz congratulated Trump and said he wanted continued close ties, even if “surely many things will be different under a Donald Trump-led administration.”

Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, whose far right-led government is in some ways close to Trump politically, said Italy and the U.S. had a “strategic bond, which I am sure we will now strengthen even more.”

European leaders are keen to stress that the transatlantic relationship transcends individual politicians, but Trump’s protectionist economic leanings are causing concern. During his last term he slapped tariffs on European steel and aluminum, roiling the bloc’s economy.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stressed that the EU and the U.S. "are bound by a true partnership between our people, uniting 800 million citizens. Let us work together on a transatlantic partnership that continues to deliver for our citizens.”

Europe’s populist politicians, meanwhile, welcomed the victory of a kindred spirit.

“They threatened him with prison, they took his property, they wanted to kill him ... and he still won,” said Hungary’s nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who will hold a summit in Budapest for some 50 European leaders on Thursday.

During his first term, Trump pushed to remake the Middle East by reconciling Israel and Saudi Arabia, and all eyes now are on how he intervenes in the region’s raging conflicts between Israel and Hamas in Gaza and Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon — and the chief backer of the two militant groups, Iran.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Trump’s election win “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!” he wrote on social media.

Trump and Netanyahu — a fellow conservative nationalist — had a tight relationship during the former president’s first term, but the ties soured when Netanyahu congratulated President Joe Biden on winning in 2020.

Netanyahu’s inner circle hopes Trump will allow Israel free rein against its enemies, but the president-elect is famously unpredictable, and the Israeli leader faces strong opposition at home. On Tuesday he fired popular Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, a surprise announcement that sparked protests across the country.

Hamas issued a terse statement saying, “Our position on the new U.S. administration depends on its positions and practical behavior towards our Palestinian people, their legitimate rights and their just cause.”

Washington is one of the key mediators of so-far unsuccessful Gaza cease-fire talks. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, another key player in regional peace efforts who had close ties to Trump during his first administration, said Egypt looked forward “to arriving together at achieving peace and preservation of stability in the region.”

Other African leaders, including South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, also sent congratulations.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping called for the U.S. and China to manage their differences and get along in a new era in a congratulatory message to Trump.

He told Trump that history has shown that both sides gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation, according to Chinese state media.

But analysts in China were pessimistic, citing the likelihood of escalating tariffs and an intensifying confrontation over Taiwan.

“It is not all dark, but there are more challenges than opportunities,” said Da Wei, director of the Center for International Security and Strategy at Tsinghua University in Beijing. “We are clear about the challenges. As for opportunities, we are yet to see them clearly.”

Long-seething territorial disputes in the South China Sea are a fault line in the U.S.-China rivalry in Asia and likely will remain a major foreign policy concern for the next American president.

Asian leaders apprehensive about China’s growing clout and North Korea's nuclear program, clamored for Trump’s attention in congratulatory messages.

“I hope to closely cooperate with President-elect Trump to further elevate Japan-U.S. alliance and relations to even higher levels,” Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said the Korea-U.S. alliance “will shine brighter,” under Trump's ”strong leadership."

But Phillips O’Brien, professor of strategic studies at the University of St. Andrews, said Washington’s allies in the Indo-Pacific, including Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and even Australia, “can no longer look for the U.S.A. to be a reliable partner in defense.”

The United States’ neighbors in the Americas, some of whom bore the impact of Trump's protectionist instincts during his first term, also braced for uncertainty.

Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum told Mexicans “there is no reason to worry,” despite Trump’s previous threats to impose trade tariffs on Mexican products unless the country does more to stem the flow of migrants and drugs to the U.S.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau — previously derided by Trump as “weak” and “dishonest” — wrote on X: “The friendship between Canada and the U.S. is the envy of the world. I know President Trump and I will work together to create more opportunity, prosperity, and security for both of our nations.”

Brazil’s left-leaning President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva congratulated Trump — despite having endorsed Kamala Harris days ago.

“Democracy is the voice of the people and must always be respected,” Lula said on X.

Associated Press writers around the world contributed to this story.

Pedestrians pass a digital screen showing news headlines about the U.S. election, in Leicester Square, in London, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Republican and Democratic Party pins are displayed at a venue as guests watch a television broadcast of U.S. elections in Hong Kong, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Chan Long Hei)

A speech by Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump is broadcast live on a monitor in the trading hall of Deutsche Börse in Frankfurt, Germany, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024. (Boris Roessler/dpa via AP)

Pedestrians stand at the crossing in front the Rossiya Segodnya International Media Group building with a running news line about the U.S. elections, top, in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Pavel Bednyakov)

A man checks his smartphone in a cafe as a television screen shows Donald Trump,Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024 in Paris. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)

Indian people watch results of U.S. elections on a television in Guwahati, India, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)

A screen shows live footage of Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speech during a news program in Nairobi, Kenya, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

A MIT Sim company broker watches monitors showing graphics of the stock market, in Milan, Italy, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Pakistanis watch news channels broadcasting results of U.S. presidential elections, at a shop in Karachi, Pakistan, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Fareed Khan)

Steve Baker, left, Claudine Earley and their dog Louis watch a television broadcast during a U.S. election viewing party at Mean Doses bar in Wellington, New Zealand on Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Charlotte Graham-McLay)

A screens shows live footage of Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speech during a news program in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns watches with other attendees as voting results are displayed on screen at a reception for the U.S. presidential election held at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

American and Ukrainian flags placed in honour of fallen servicemen flutter in the wind in front of statue in central square, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Alex Babenko)

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel launched dozens of airstrikes across northern and southern Gaza on Friday, killing more than 93 people and wounding hundreds -- attacks that Israeli officials described as a prelude to a larger military campaign in the territory aimed at pressuring Hamas to release hostages.

The strikes followed days of similar attacks that killed more than 130 people, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, and came as U.S. President Donald Trump wrapped up a visit to Gulf states — but not Israel.

There had been widespread hopes that his trip to the region could increase the chances of a ceasefire deal, or the resumption of humanitarian aid to Gaza, which Israel has prevented for more than two months.

Speaking to reporters in Abu Dhabi on the final day of his trip, Trump said he was looking to resolve a range of global crises, including Gaza. “We’re looking at Gaza,” he said. “And we’ve got to get that taken care of. A lot of people are starving. A lot of people are — there’s a lot of bad things going on.”

In southern Gaza, Israel struck the outskirts of Deir al-Balah and the city of Khan Younis. It said it hit anti-tank missile posts and military structures.

In northern Gaza, the attacks sent people fleeing from the Jabaliya refugee camp and the town of Beit Lahiya. Israel said it eliminated several militants who were operating in an observation compound.

Dark smoke was seen rising over Jabaliya as people grabbed what they could of their belongings and fled on donkey carts, by car and foot.

“We got out of the house with difficulty, killing and death, we did not take anything,” said Feisal Al-Attar, who was displaced from Beit Lahiya.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed earlier in the week to push ahead with a promised escalation of force in Israel’s war in the Gaza Strip to pursue his aim of destroying the Hamas militant group, which governs Gaza.

In comments released by Netanyahu’s office Tuesday, the prime minister said Israeli forces were days away from entering Gaza “with great strength to complete the mission ... It means destroying Hamas.”

An Israeli official said the strikes on Friday were preparatory actions in the lead-up to a larger operation and to send a message to Hamas that it will begin soon if there isn’t an agreement to release the 58 hostages still in Gaza since Hamas' October 2023 attack that launched the war. The official was not authorized to brief media and spoke on condition of anonymity

The same official said that Cabinet members were meeting Friday to assess negotiations in Qatar, where ceasefire talks are taking place, and to decide on next steps.

Israeli government spokesman David Mencer told The Associated Press on Friday that Israel’s military is intensifying its operations as it has done since Hamas stopped releasing hostages. “Our objective is to get them home and get Hamas to relinquish power,” he said.

In Israel, families of hostages said they awoke Friday with “heavy hearts” to reports of increased attacks and called on Netanyahu to “join hands” with Trump’s efforts to release hostages.

Edan Alexander, the Israeli-American hostage released Monday after backdoor U.S.-Hamas diplomacy, left the hospital Friday, according to a statement released by his parents, who said his recovery was far from over.

“Missing this historic opportunity for a deal to bring the hostages home would be a resounding failure that will be remembered in infamy forever,” the families said in a statement released by the hostage forum, which supports them.

The war began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people and abducted 251 others during an attack on southern Israel. Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed more than 53,000 Palestinians, many of them women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not say how many were combatants.

Almost 3,000 have been killed since Israel broke a ceasefire on March 18, the ministry said.

Of the hostages that remain in Gaza, Israel believes as many as 23 are still alive, although Israeli authorities have expressed concern for the status of three of those.

Dozens of Palestinians in Khan Younis lined up at a charity kitchen to obtain food Friday in a scene that quickly turned chaotic as the enclave entered its third month of Israel’s aid blockade.

Several children behind a metal partition screamed and cried out for food. At one point, the scene descended into chaos as charity kitchen workers struggled to push people back into line.

Some workers were attacked as the crowd surged forward, pressing against the partition and lunging toward the large pots of rice to grab whatever they could. One child used his hand to scoop the last bits of rice from the nearly empty pot, while holding his food container with the other hand.

Israel's blockade is preventing food, fuel medicine and all other supplies from entering, worsening a humanitarian crisis. Israel says the blockade aims to pressure Hamas to release the hostages it still holds.

“Our only hope was that Donald Trump’s visit to the Middle East would result in solutions and somehow open crossings to bring in humanitarian assistance as soon as possible into the Gaza Strip, but the visit is almost over and not a drop of water or bread entered Gaza,” said Saqer Jamal, a displaced man from Rafah who was at the kitchen.

Earlier this week, a new humanitarian organization that has U.S. backing to take over aid delivery said it expects to begin operations before the end of the month — after what it describes as key agreements from Israeli officials.

A statement from the group, called the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, identified several U.S. military veterans, former humanitarian coordinators and security contractors that it said would lead the delivery effort.

Many in the humanitarian community, including the U.N., said the system does not align with humanitarian principles and won't be able to meet the needs of Palestinians in Gaza and won't participate it.

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Mroue reported from Beirut. Associated Press writers Tia Goldenberg and Sam Mednick in Tel Aviv, Israel, contributed to this report.

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Follow AP’s war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war

Palestinians struggle to get donated food at a community kitchen in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Friday, May 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Palestinians look at smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike near Jabalia, northern Gaza Strip, Friday, May 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Displaced Palestinians fleeing Beit Lahia amid ongoing Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip arrive in Jabalia, northern Gaza, on Friday, May 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Displaced Palestinians fleeing Beit Lahia amid ongoing Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip arrive in Jabalia, northern Gaza, on Friday, May 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Displaced Palestinians fleeing Beit Lahia amid ongoing Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip arrive in Jabalia, northern Gaza, on Friday, May 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Displaced Palestinians fleeing Beit Lahia amid ongoing Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip arrive in Jabalia, northern Gaza, on Friday, May 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Displaced Palestinians fleeing Beit Lahia amid ongoing Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip arrive in Jabalia, northern Gaza, on Friday, May 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Palestinians struggle to get donated food at a community kitchen in Jabalia, northern Gaza Strip, Thursday, May 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Palestinians struggle to get donated food at a community kitchen in Jabalia, northern Gaza Strip, Thursday, May 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip, as seen from southern Israel, Thursday, May 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

Palestinians struggle to get donated food at a community kitchen in Jabalia, northern Gaza Strip, Thursday, May 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Israeli soldiers work on tanks and APCs at a staging area near the border with the Gaza Strip, in southern Israel, Thursday, May 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)