World leaders react to Biden’s exit from 2024 US presidential race

CNN
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Messages of gratitude and support for US President Joe Biden poured in after he surprisingly announced on Sunday that he is withdrawing from the 2024 presidential race and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris as the next Democratic nominee.

It was the second major moment in American politics in just over a week, following the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania on July 13, where world leaders rallied behind him as the Republican presidential nominee.

Pressure on Biden to withdraw from the race grew after his disastrous performance at CNN’s presidential debate last month. On Sunday, he confirmed he would serve just one term, prompting a flood of tributes from US allies thanking him for his leadership.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who met Biden in Washington this month, said he respected the president’s decision and looked forward to working together until the end of Biden’s term.

“I know that, as he has done throughout his remarkable career, he has based his decision on what he thinks is best for the American people,” Starmer wrote on X.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau thanked Biden for being a “true friend” to his country. “He’s a great man and everything he does is guided by his love for his country,” he said on X.

At a press conference, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Biden deserves credit for “once again not putting himself first, but thinking first and foremost about being what he believes is in the best interests of the United States of America, as he has done throughout his public life.”

“President Biden has dedicated his life to public service, and that is something that deserves a lot of respect,” New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said on X.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Biden for his “unwavering support” in his country’s war against Russia, which the US has backed with weapons, military aid and diplomatic support despite Republican backlash.

“Many strong decisions have been made in recent years and they will be remembered as bold steps taken by President Biden in response to challenging times,” Zelensky said on X. “We will always be grateful for President Biden’s leadership.”

Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow was “not too surprised” by Biden’s withdrawal. “In recent years, what happened in the United States has taught us not to be surprised by anything,” Peskov told reporters on Monday.

“This issue should concern American voters, but not us,” he said, adding that “what is very important for us is the future of Russian-American relations, which are now going through the worst period in history.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that regardless of who wins the US presidential election, Israel will remain an “irreplaceable ally” for Washington in the Middle East.

Speaking from the tarmac at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport on Monday before boarding a flight to the US, Netanyahu said his trip was an opportunity to thank Biden “for the things he did for the State of Israel, both during the war and during his years of service as a senator, as vice president and as president.”

President Isaac Herzog described Biden as a “true ally of the Jewish people,” while Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said the American president’s “steadfast support, especially during the war, has been invaluable,” both in messages to X.

Biden has been one of the biggest supporters of Israel’s war in Gaza since Hamas’s Oct. 7 attacks. But he has increasingly clashed with Netanyahu over humanitarian aid and the conflict’s rising civilian death toll.

Irish Taoiseach Simon Harris called Biden “a proud American with an Irish soul” and thanked him for his “global leadership” and “friendship”.

Other leaders praised Biden for making the difficult decision to withdraw from the race.

“My friend Joe Biden has achieved a lot: for his country, for Europe, for the world,” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz wrote on X. “His decision not to run for re-election deserves respect.”

At a rally on Sunday, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said Biden made the “right” decision and put his family and health first, wishing him “health and long life.”

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk wrote on X that Biden had made difficult decisions “that make Poland, America and the world safer and democracy stronger.”

“I know you were driven by the same motives when you announced your final decision. Probably the most difficult one,” Tusk said.

Leaders in South Korea and Japan said they would not comment on U.S. domestic politics but stressed the need to continue working with the White House. Both countries have a mutual defense treaty with the United States, and Biden has been a key promoter of deepening ties between allies in Asia, partly to counter China’s growing assertiveness.

“I recognize that President Biden’s decision is based on his desire to make the best possible political decision,” Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said. “The Japan-U.S. alliance is the cornerstone of our country’s diplomatic security and we will continue to monitor it closely.”

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s office said it will “continue to work closely with the US to further develop the global strategic alliance between South Korea and the US.”

Philippine President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos JR said Biden’s “decision to withdraw from his candidacy is a testament to true statesmanship.”

“We thank him for his constant and steadfast support for the Philippines during a delicate and difficult time,” he wrote on X. The Philippines, which is also a treaty ally of the US, has increasingly confronted Chinese vessels in the South China Sea in recent years.

As of Monday morning local time, there was no official statement from Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

But “Biden drops out of election” was the top trending topic on Weibo, China’s X-like social platform, on Monday morning, with five other related topics, including discussions about Kamala Harris and the Trump assassination attempt, collectively receiving more than 400 million views.

Some Chinese social media users enthusiastically speculated about the possibility of a woman becoming US president, while others said they were confident Trump would win regardless of the Democratic candidate.

“The shot was definitely a good deal for Trump!” wrote one Weibo user.

One user noted: “that one shot didn’t kill Trump, it dropped Biden,” while another described the political situation in the US as “a total mess.”