The world leaders who haven't congratulated Joe Biden
While a host of world leaders have sent messages of congratulations to US President-elect Joe Biden since he defeated current US President Donald Trump in the 2020 election, there are a few notable leaders who have kept quiet since the announcement.
The streets around the US have erupted with Biden supporters loudly declaring victory and celebrating as he announced an end to a “grim era of demonisation”.
Messages of hope were delivered from around the world to Kamala Harris, the first woman and the first person of South Asian descent to be elected vice president. But not everyone seemed to be as vocal about the win.
President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil, sometimes dubbed “the Trump of the Tropics” for his populist, off-the-cuff style, has kept silent on Trump’s loss. And Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador refused to congratulate Biden at this point, saying he would wait until the legal challenges over the vote were resolved.
Bolsonaro and his sons — who like Trump’s children play a role on the political scene — seem to be actively uncomfortable with the outcome of the US race.
Bolsonaro, who previously expressed hope for Trump’s reelection and whose son wore hats with the logo “Trump 2020”, has kept largely silent this week, but his sons haven’t.
Congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro posted images on social media questioning how Biden’s votes were rising so quickly in later counts, while Trump’s weren’t.
The younger Bolsonaro also questioned networks’ decision to cut away from Trump’s speech on Wednesday alleging vote fraud, calling it an attack on freedom of speech.
A senior official of the Brazilian Embassy in the US, who cannot identify himself for fear of reprisals, said Brazilian officials fear that loose talk by Bolsonaro or his sons could destabilise relations between countries.
Melania's 'stern message to Trump' as he refuses to concede defeat
'Teary-eyed' Donald Trump booed on return to White House after defeat
Kremlin declines to comment after Trump’s loss
The Kremlin says it will wait for the official results of the US presidential election before commenting on its outcome, and that it has noted incumbent Donald Trump's announcement of legal challenges related to the vote.
President Vladimir Putin has remained silent on the issue since Biden clinched the presidency on Saturday, four days after the November 3 election.
In 2016, Putin waited roughly 2 hours to congratulate Trump after he was announced President-elect.
In 2020, 24 hours after Biden was announced President-elect, continued radio silence out of the Kremlin.— Bianna Golodryga (@biannagolodryga) November 8, 2020
Speaking to reporters on a conference call on Monday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow deemed it was better to wait for the official results before commenting.
Peskov added that Putin had repeatedly said he was ready to work with any US leader and that Russia hoped it could establish dialogue with the new US administration and find a way to normalise relations.
Other notable silences have come from Chinese President Xi Jinping and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erodağan.
Trump’s former “friend” Kim Jong Un has also stayed silent on President Trump’s loss.
with AP & Reuters
Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play.
