Germany, China and Russia react to Trump's victory

The world is reacting to former President Trump’s election victory. In Russia, analysts are thinking about how it might affect U.S. military aid to Ukraine.

JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:

Trump largely ran on an agenda focusing on the challenges with inflation, the border and migration, as well as increasing uncertainty around the world. World leaders from the U.K., South Korea, Canada and Japan have congratulated Trump on the victory.

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:

Populists and far-right leaders in some countries have reacted to President-elect Trump's win with enthusiasm and hope. But most countries' governments are using more cautious words of welcome to Donald Trump's election, often underlining that he is the choice of the American people. And leading powers such as China, Russia and Germany do have concerns about what the next four years will bring. We have reports from our correspondents covering those countries.

ROB SCHMITZ, BYLINE: I'm Rob Schmitz in Berlin, where political leaders, depending on their party platforms, are either deeply worried or extremely energized about Trump's victory. German chancellor Olaf Scholz, a leader in the worried category, was diplomatic in his response to Trump's win, emphasizing there are deep political divisions both in Germany and in the U.S., but that in both countries, there is more that unites us than divides us. Germany said Scholz remains a reliable trans-Atlantic partner of the U.S.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

OLAF SCHOLZ: (Speaking German).

SCHMITZ: "We will continue to contribute to this partnership," Scholz said, "and this applies in view of the threat that Russia poses to all NATO allies for trans-Atlantic security."

German opposition politician Norbert Rottgen was more frank with his remarks.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

NORBERT ROTTGEN: (Speaking German).

SCHMITZ: "In a worst-case scenario," said Rottgen, "Trump could strike a deal on Ukraine with Vladimir Putin - a deal at the expense of Ukrainians and Europe security. If the president of NATO's leading member does this," said Rottgen, "then NATO loses all credibility. So even without formally dismantling the alliance," he said, "NATO could still be in mortal danger."

The new secretary general of NATO, Mark Rutte, said Trump's leadership will again be a key to keeping NATO strong.

On the other side of Europe's political spectrum, populist Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban called Trump's win, quote, "a much-needed victory for the world."

And here in Germany, the co-chair of the far-right alternative for Deutschland Party, Alice Weidel, whose party is under domestic surveillance for the threat it poses to Germany's democracy, said this.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

ALICE WEIDEL: (Speaking German).

SCHMITZ: "This was not the woke Hollywood who won this election," said Weidel, "but it was America's working class who has emerged victorious."

JOHN RUWITCH, BYLINE: This is John Ruwitch in Shanghai. The Chinese government watched closely as the electoral votes piled up, and the foreign ministry was careful with its words. Spokeswoman Mao Ning told a news conference the election is an internal matter for the United States, and China respects the American people's choice.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

MAO NING: (Speaking Mandarin).

RUWITCH: "Chinese policy towards the U.S. has been consistent," she says, and will continue to be handled in accordance with the, quote, "principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation."

She declined to comment on a huge issue, though - tariffs. Trump has talked about imposing fresh trade tariffs of 60% or more on all Chinese imports. That would undoubtedly push already rocky relations between the world's two biggest economies to a new low point. And it would be a big concern for China, where the local economy has been struggling. The leadership has been trying to kickstart things, and they're meeting in Beijing this week. Some experts think they may unveil fresh economic stimulus measures, and with Trump reelected, they could opt for a more robust package.

The soon-to-be 47th president has had good things to say about Chinese leader Xi Jinping and says they were good friends when he was in office the first time. And some here think Trump's still a dealmaker at heart. He's unpredictable but also less ideological than many other American politicians, including President Biden. That may mean openings for Beijing on things like human rights and Taiwan. How Trump's policies shape up, though, may ultimately depend on who's in his cabinet and who's got his ear.

CHARLES MAYNES, BYLINE: I'm NPR's Russia correspondent, Charles Maynes. In Moscow, the Kremlin says President Vladimir Putin has no plans to congratulate Trump on his election victory just yet. The reason - tensions over ongoing American military support for Ukraine.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

DMITRY PESKOV: (Speaking Russian).

MAYNES: "Let's not forget we're talking about an unfriendly country," said spokesman Dmitry Peskov in his daily briefing with reporters, "and that the U.S. was both directly and indirectly involved in a war against the Russian state."

Candidate Trump has repeatedly voiced skepticism over continued U.S. military aid to Ukraine, even claiming once elected, he would negotiate peace between Kyiv and Moscow in a single day. Yet, Russian analysts cautioned Trump's promises of a quick end to the conflict were beyond unrealistic.

FYODOR LUKYANOV: Of course, 24 hours - that's ridiculous.

MAYNES: Fyodor Lukyanov is editor of Russia in Global Affairs magazine.

LUKYANOV: In case the attention of Washington, the Congress and money will be diverted from Ukraine, that might have a very big impact on the situation on the battlefield, of course, and probably create composition for hypothetical deals. But again, not immediately.

MAYNES: Skepticism in Moscow is fueled by memories of the U.S. election of 2016, when Trump's pledge to improve relations with Russia was quickly bogged down by allegations of Kremlin attempts to interfere in the U.S. vote. Many argue a new Trump administration would again face ingrained hostilities towards Russia from both parties in Congress. And Trump's reputation for erratic behavior is also a concern, says Sergei Markov, a former Kremlin adviser.

SERGEI MARKOV: Trump is unpredictable. He is for everybody. He's also for Russia.

MAYNES: For now, the Kremlin spokesman, Peskov, suggested Moscow would take a wait-and-see approach until Trump actually took the oath of office. Only then, he said, could Russia judge the prospects for real change in Washington.

SHAPIRO: That was NPR's Rob Schmitz reporting from Berlin, NPR's John Ruwitch in Shanghai and NPR's Russia correspondent, Charles Maynes.

(SOUNDBITE OF FLYING LOTUS' "FF4")

Copyright © 2024 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.