World leaders reacted to the shooting of Donald Trump in an assassination attempt against the former US president at an election rally.
Speaking against political violence, they expressed their support for those affected by the shooting which killed one bystander and left two other spectators critically wounded.
In a statement, US President, Joe Biden said there was “no place in America for this. We must unite as one nation to condemn it. It’s sick, it’s sick.
“We cannot allow for this to be happening. We cannot be like this. We cannot condone this,” he added.
He said he was “grateful to hear that he’s safe and doing well. I’m praying for him and his family and for all those at the rally. Jill [Biden] and I are grateful to the Secret Service for getting him to safety.”
Vice-president, Kamala Harris said in a statement that she was “relieved” Trump was not seriously injured in what she described as a “senseless shooting”.
“Violence such as this has no place in our nation. We must all condemn this abhorrent act and do our part to ensure that it does not lead to more violence,” she said.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she was “deeply shocked” by the attack.
“Political violence has no place in a democracy,” she said.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called the shooting “despicable” and said “such acts of violence threaten democracy.”
France President, Emmanuel Macron called the assassination a “tragedy for our democracies.”
“France shares the shock and indignation of the American people,” said Macron.
Russia called on the United States to “take stock” of its “policies of incitement to hatred,” while using the assassination attempt to denounce Washington’s military support for Ukraine.
“Perhaps it would be better to use this money to fund the American police and other services that are supposed to ensure law and order in the United States?” said foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was “appalled to learn about the shooting” and wished Trump a “speedy recovery.”
“Such violence has no justification and no place anywhere in the world. Never should violence prevail,” he said.
Argentina’s President Javier Milei blamed the “international left” after the assassination attempt.
“In the panic of losing at the polls, they resort to terrorism to impose their backward and authoritarian agenda,” said the populist president.
Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said the shooting “must be strongly condemned by all defenders of democracy and political dialogue.”
Chilean President Gabriel Boric expressed his “unqualified condemnation” of the shooting.
“Violence is a threat to democracies and weakens our life together. We must all reject it,” said Boric.
Colombia expressed its “solidarity with the United States at this difficult time.”
“As a country that has suffered from violence, we reaffirm that it has no place in the political and electoral debate,” the government said.
China’s Xi Jinping expressed his “compassion and sympathy” for Trump, with a foreign ministry spokesman saying Beijing was “closely following” the incident.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was “deeply concerned by the attack on my friend.”
“Violence has no place in politics and democracies,” said Modi.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida also spoke out against political attacks, saying “we must stand firm against any form of violence that challenges democracy.”
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he and his wife Sara “were shocked by the apparent attack on President Trump”.
“We pray for his safety and speedy recovery,” Netanyahu said.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi described the shooting as a “treacherous incident.”
Sisi wished the US “election campaigns to continue in a peaceful and healthy atmosphere, free of any manifestations of terrorism, violence or hatred.”
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