LONDON — World leaders expressed respect and praise Sunday after President Biden announced he was ending his reelection campaign, a momentous decision that changed the complexion of the race for the White House and reverberated far beyond Washington.
Biden, a longtime member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee before assuming his senior role, has built and nurtured relationships with many world leaders over decades.
Israeli officials were quick to express their praise, with President Isaac Herzog thanking Biden for his “friendship and unwavering support” in a post on X and praising the 81-year-old Biden as a “true ally of the Jewish people.”
Biden has strongly supported Israel’s war on Gaza since the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, but has clashed repeatedly with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over humanitarian aid deliveries and the toll of the conflict on Palestinian civilians. Netanyahu, who arrived in Washington on Monday and is due to address Congress on Wednesday, did not immediately react to Biden’s announcement.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant thanked Biden for his “unwavering support” and said the president’s “steadfast backing” in the war against Hamas was “invaluable.”
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid responded briefly, posting a photo of himself smiling and shaking hands with Biden with the caption “Thank you.”
Biden has also been a strong supporter of Ukraine and the country’s efforts to repel Russia’s 2022 invasion, supplying Kyiv with American weapons and diplomatic assistance despite growing opposition from Republican lawmakers.
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“He supported our country at one of the most dramatic moments in our history, helped us stop Putin from taking over our country and has supported us throughout this terrible war,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said on X.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov sounded a more cautious tone, saying “a lot can change” in the four months until the November vote, adding that “Russia will be watching closely and waiting to see what happens next.”
In Britain, new Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he respected Biden’s decision.
“I know that President Biden will make decisions based on what he believes is in the best interests of the American people, as he has done throughout his distinguished career,” Starmer said.
Starmer, who met Biden in Washington earlier this month, said he looked forward to working with him in the final months of the president’s term.
Former British Chancellor Rishi Sunak praised Biden’s “love for America and dedication to service.”
Nigel Farage, a member of the British parliament and leader of the right-wing Reform UK party, struck a different tone, posting on X that “No matter who is elected, Trump will win in November.”
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz thanked Biden for his support for a stronger NATO and “transatlantic cooperation,” writing in a statement that Biden’s decision to withdraw from the race was “worthy of praise.”
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called Biden a “partner and true friend of the Canadian people”, while Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the Australia-U.S. relationship was “stronger than ever” under Biden.
In a statement posted on X, Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris called Biden “a voice of reason, effective multilateralism and shared solutions.”
Biden, who has Irish roots, visited the country last year and one of his final stops was at Mayo Roscommon Hospice, where a plaque commemorates his son Beau Biden, who died of brain cancer in 2015.
“Mr. President, Ireland will safeguard the part of your son Beau’s legacy that you left in County Mayo,” Governor Harris wrote on Sunday.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called Biden’s decision “brave and dignified” and praised him for supporting Ukraine against Russian aggression. “It’s a great act from a great president who has always fought for democracy and freedom,” Sánchez said. Tweeted on sunday.
Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala described Biden’s move as a “difficult step” and said he hoped a November race between two “strong and equal candidates” would result in a “good president.”
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk praised Biden for taking another difficult decision in his long career as prime minister, saying it “made our democracy stronger.”
Meanwhile, Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister Donica Gerbara-Schwarz specifically pointed to Biden’s “Western leadership.”
As Washington struggled with the broader implications of Biden’s decision to install Vice President Harris as his top running mate and step away from the race, Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics summed up the reaction of many: “Politics has never been this interesting,” he wrote on X.
Seth reported from New York.
