Congratulating Biden, World Leaders Express Relief at Trump Departure

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Well-wishes to an incoming U.S. president took on a new form this year, as world leaders issuing congratulations to President Joe Biden also appeared to express palpable relief that the Trump administration had come to an end.

"America is back," tweeted South Korean President Moon Jae-in shortly after Biden's inauguration. "America's new beginning will make democracy even greater. Together with the Korean people, I stand by your journey toward 'America United.'" 

Moon was among the world leaders most affected by former President Donald Trump's foreign policy, in this case the nuclear brinkmanship that accompanied his unprecedented meetings with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The overtures amounted to three high-profile summits that ultimately did not yield major breakthroughs or prevent rising tensions in recent months as Pyongyang sought to reassert itself during the transition of power in Washington.

Others in the crosshairs of Trump's attempts to assert "America First" policies appeared almost jubilant at the prospects of a more predictable superpower.

Longtime NATO Secretary Jens Stoltenberg, known for his stoicism, issued a very plain statement following Trump's inauguration in early 2017, clearly anticipating the combativeness the former president would employ to bully and cajole the Cold War-era alliance that's been made newly relevant amid renewed Russian provocations. 


 

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