What do world leaders think of Trump and Harris?

As polls open across the U.S., the rest of the world is waiting in anticipation to see what the results will mean for international politics.

While many world leaders have chosen not to comment on the presidential election, some have been bold in giving their opinions on Donald Trump and Kamala Harris.

Here’s what they have said:

Ukraine and Russia

The U.S. has been one of the key providers of military aid in Ukraine, and since the invasion of its territory the U.S. has committed over $64.1 billion to the country to help it counter Russian advances.

European leaders will be focused on what the election result may mean for Ukraine and the NATO defense agreement.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that he does not think Trump knows how to stop the war in Ukraine.

“My feeling is that Trump doesn’t really know how to stop the war even if he might think he knows how. With this war, oftentimes, the deeper you look at it the less you understand,” he said in an interview with the New Yorker magazine.

He has also called Trump’s running mate JD Vance “dangerous” and “too radical.”

Putin himself provided a noncommittal answer when asked in September whether he preferred Harris or Trump.

He commented wryly that his “favorite” was the current president, Joe Biden, who “recommended all his supporters to support Ms. Harris.”

He jokingly mentioned Harris’ “expressive and infectious laugh.”

Europe

Many European leaders have also been careful to avoid outright endorsements.

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that both Trump and Harris must accept the result of the election.

He has refused to say who he wants to win.

“We will work with whoever the American people elect as their president,” he said.

However, Starmer has criticized Trump in the past. In 2020, after the storming of the Capitol, he said: “President Donald Trump has to take responsibility. What happened was appalling.”

“It wasn’t a protest—it was an attack on democracy. And responsibility lays with President Donald Trump. No doubt about that.”

French President Emmanuel Macron said in a news conference in January said that he would deal with whoever wins the U.S. election.

“I’ve always had the same philosophy, I take the leaders that people give me,” Macron said.

Jonas Gahr Støre, the Prime Minister of NATO country Norway, praised Harris in July, calling her “a very strong candidate.”

“It’s about them standing up to Trump, what he stands for and fighting for their [Democrats’] plans going forward.”

Meanwhile Viktor Orban, prime minister of Hungary and a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has endorsed Trump.

“Just got off the phone with President @realDonald Trump,” Orban posted on X on Thursday. “I wished him the best of luck for next Tuesday. Only five days to go. Fingers crossed.”

The German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, praised Harris in July.

He said she was a “competent and experienced” politician but stopped short of endorsing her.

“I think it is very possible that Kamala Harris will win the election, but the American voters will decide,” he added.

Latin America

The U.S. election will be certain to have a knock-on affect on neighbors in South America.

Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has expressed his support for Harris.

In September, he said to government leaders: “God willing, Kamala wins the elections in the U.S.,” according to reports made to CNN.

And in an interview with the French channel TF1 last week, he said that a victory for Harris would be a safe way to strengthen democracy.

However, Javier Milei, president of Argentina, has shown admiration for Trump.

Milei praised him in an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson.

In an interview with Bloomberg in April he also spoke highly of Trump.

“The greatest value of Donald Trump’s policies is that he has rightly identified the enemy and the enemy is socialism.”

Milei’s supporters made “Make Argentina Great Again” hats and T-shirts a common sight during his campaign, echoing Trump’s slogan.

Meanwhile Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum has maintained a neutral stance regarding the U.S. presidential candidates.

“Obviously we respect and we will respect the decision of the people of the United States,” she said when asked about the presidential election.

Canada

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in January that a second Trump presidency “won’t be easy” but that the federal government is prepared for that possibility.

“Do they want to be a nation that is optimistic and committed to the future? Or will they choose a step backward, nostalgia for a time that never existed, a populism that reflects a lot the anxiety and fury that people are going through without necessarily offering solutions?” Trudeau said at a breakfast event hosted by the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal.

Australia

Australia and the U.S. have a close diplomatic relationship, and Australia is a key partner in counterbalancing China’s influence in the region and security against North Korea.

The U.S. and Australia are part of the ANZUS Treaty, a key defensive pact signed in 1951 that binds both countries and New Zealand to cooperate on security matters.

Anthony Albanese, prime minister of Australia, previously expressed concerns about Trump, stating in 2017 that the former president “scares the s*** out of me.”

Asked at a political forum how he would “deal with Trump,” Albanese said: “With trepidation.”

“He scares the s*** out of me and I think it’s of some concern the leader of the free world thinks that you can conduct politics through 140 characters on Twitter overnight.”