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06 Nov 24. Global leaders congratulate Trump, whose victory could roil the world. The verdict of U.S. voters was more decisive than most pundits and analysts had predicted. Now the world waits to see whether the election of Donald Trump as president is as destabilizing many American allies fear.
Trump secured victory Wednesday after surpassing the 270 electoral college votes needed to win. In a victory speech before the official declaration, he vowed to “put our country first” and bring about a “golden age” for America.
Trump’s first term saw him insult and alienate longstanding American allies. His return to the White House, four years after losing office to President Joe Biden, has huge consequences for everything from global trade to climate change to multiple crises and conflicts around the world.
Trump has pledged to ramp up a tariff feud with China, the United States’ growing economic and strategic rival. In the Middle East, Trump has pledged, without saying how, to end the conflicts between Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah. He has also vowed to end the Russia-Ukraine war within 24 hours of taking office – something Ukraine and its supporters fear would be on terms favorable to Moscow.
Here’s how leaders and others around the world are reacting:
ISRAEL’S PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU: “Congratulations on history’s greatest comeback! Your historic return to the White House offers a new beginning for America and a powerful recommitment to the great alliance between Israel and America. This is a huge victory!”
Netanyahu and Trump had a tight relationship during the former president’s first term, but the ties soured when Netanyahu congratulated President Joe Biden for winning in 2020. During his first term, Trump pushed to remake the Middle East by reconciling Israel and Saudi Arabia, and all eyes now are on how he intervenes to the region’s current conflicts.
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UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY: “I appreciate President Trump’s commitment to the ‘peace through strength’ approach in global affairs. This is exactly the principle that can practically bring just peace in Ukraine closer. I am hopeful that we will put it into action together. We look forward to an era of a strong United States of America under President Trump’s decisive leadership.”
The future of U.S. support for Ukraine’s fight against Russian invasion is one of the biggest unknowns about Trump’s foreign policy.
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HUNGARIAN PRIME MINISTER VIKTOR ORBAN: “They threatened him with prison, they took his property, they wanted to kill him … and he still won”
Hungary’s nationalist leader, one of Trump’s most ardent foreign supporters, welcomed a result he said would have a transformative effect on the world and bring an end to the war in Ukraine. “We have many plans that we can execute in the coming year with President Donald Trump,” said Orbán, who on Thursday will hold a summit in Budapest for some 50 other European leaders – many of whom feel much more apprehensive about the impact of a second Trump presidency on Europe’s economy and security.
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NATO SECRETARY-GENERAL MARK RUTTE: “We face a growing number of challenges globally, from a more aggressive Russia, to terrorism, to strategic competition with China, as well the increasing alignment of China, Russia, North Korea and Iran. Working together through NATO helps to deter aggression, protect our collective security, and support our economies.”
Trump was a strong critic of the Atlantic military alliance during his first term, accusing its other members of failing to pull their weight. Rutte praised Trump for his work persuading member states to ramp up defense spending, saying NATO was now “stronger, larger, and more united.”
Military analyst Phillips O’Brien, professor of strategic studies at the University of St Andrews, said it’s not just NATO. The United States’ other allies in the Indo-Pacific, including Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and even Australia, “can no longer look for the U.S.A. to be a reliable partner in defense,” he said.
EUROPEAN COMMISSION PRESIDENT URSULA VON DER LEYEN
“I warmly congratulate Donald J. Trump. The EU and the U.S. are more than just allies. We are bound by a true partnership between our people, uniting 800 million citizens. Let us work together on a transatlantic partnership that continues to deliver for our citizens.”
European leaders are keen to stress that the trans-Atlantic relationship transcends individual politicians, but Trump’s protectionist economic leanings are causing concern. During his last term he slapped tariffs on European steel and aluminum, roiling the bloc’s economy.
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BRITISH PRIME MINISTER KEIR STARMER: “Congratulations President-elect Trump on your historic election victory. I look forward to working with you in the years ahead. As the closest of allies, we stand shoulder to shoulder in defense of our shared values of freedom, democracy and enterprise.”
Like governments of U.S. allies around the world, Starmer’s center-left administration has worked hard to forge ties with Trump and his team. Starmer had dinner with Trump at Trump Tower in September, where, U.K. officials say, they found common ground over Starmer’s strong law-and-order as a former chief prosecutor, and the lefty size of his parliamentary majority.
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FRENCH PRESIDENT EMMANUEL MACRON: “Congratulations, President (at)realDonaldTrump. Ready to work together as we did for four years. With your convictions and mine. With respect and ambition. For more peace and prosperity.”
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GERMAN CHANCELLOR OLAF SCHOLZ: “I congratulate Donald Trump on his election as U.S. President. For a long time, Germany and the US have been working together successfully promoting prosperity and freedom on both sides of the Atlantic. We will continue to do so for the wellbeing of our citizens.”
Amid the congratulations. France and Germany arranged a last-minute meeting of their defense ministers on Wednesday to discuss the results of the U.S. elections and its implications for Ukraine and European defense.
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ITALIAN PREMIER GIORGIA MELONI: “Italy and the United States are sister nations, linked by an unshakeable alliance, common values and a historic friendship. It is a strategic bond, which I am sure we will now strengthen even more.”
More a natural ally of Trump than many European leaders, Meloni in 2022 became the head of Italy’s first far-right-led government since World War II. She has forged alliances with other right-wing leaders in Europe and has made a mark cracking down on migration.
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DA WEI, director of the Center for International Security and Strategy at Tsinghua University in Beijing: “It is not all dark, but there are more challenges than opportunities. We are clear about the challenges. As for opportunities, we are yet to see them clearly.”
There was no immediate reaction from the Chinese government to Trump’s victory, but analysts were pessimistic, citing the likelihood of escalating tariffs and an intensifying confrontation over Taiwan.
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INDIAN PRIME MINISTER NARENDRA MODI: “Heartiest congratulations my friend (at)realDonaldTrump on your historic election victory. … Together, let’s work for the betterment of our people and to promote global peace, stability and prosperity.”
While U.S.-India ties grew under former Biden, the conservative Hindu nationalist leader Modi was also close to Trump, who received an adulatory reception when he visited India in 2020 as more than 100,000 people packed into a cricket stadium to see him
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KREMLIN SPOKESMAN DMITRY PESKOV: “Let’s not forget that we are talking about the unfriendly country that is both directly and indirectly involved in a war against our state.”
No congratulations were forthcoming from Moscow, where President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, Peskov, declared that Russia-U.S. relations were at the “lowest point in history.”(Source: Defense News)
07 Nov 24. DOD Eyes Smooth Transition to Next Administration, Austin Says.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III issued a recent message to the force that emphasized the Defense Department’s commitment to a professional, orderly and calm transition to the next commander in chief, the Pentagon announced today.
In that message sent out Wednesday, “Secretary Austin reiterated that the U.S. military will stand ready to carry out the policy choices of the next commander in chief and to obey all lawful orders from a civilian chain of command to defend the United States, our Constitution and the rights of all American citizens,” Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told the media.
Singh also said Austin’s message reaffirmed the military will, “continue to stand apart from the political arena; to stand guard over our republic with principle and professionalism; and to stand together with the valued allies and partners who deepen our security.”
She added that, as the transition will be getting underway soon, the defense secretary has expressed a deep sense of pride in and appreciation for both the Defense Department’s civilian workforce and all service members stationed stateside and deployed around the world.
With 74 days until President Joe Biden’s administration hands over control of the Defense Department to the second Donald Trump administration, Singh said that steps are being taken to prepare for the start of that transition.
“In terms of outreach to the Trump team, we’re coordinating everything right now with the White House and the ,” she said.
“There certain agreements that need to be signed and put into place before we can start the transition process,” Singh continued. “But, regardless, we are committed to a professional, effective transition for the incoming administration.”
When questioned as to whether Austin’s message to the force was in anyway tied to DOD concerns of how the incoming administration might plan to use the military to deal with domestic issues in the U.S., Singh said it’s important to remember that the military is not a political entity.
“I think it’s important to remember that the military is apolitical; and as it says in memo to the force, the U.S. military will stand ready to carry out the policy choices of its next commander in chief and to obey all lawful orders from its civilian chain of command,” Singh said. (Source: U.S. DoD)
07 Nov 24. French, German defense leaders urge European unity after Trump win. France’s Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu (R) addresses a press conference after a bilateral meeting with his German counterpart, Boris Pistorius (L), in Paris on Nov. 6, 2024. France and Germany emphasized the need to keep up military spending and for unity on European security, including with the U.K., following a meeting between the two countries’ defense ministers in response to Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 U.S. presidential election.
NATO members need to translate defense spending into a tangible contribution in the coming years, with troops, ships and aircraft that show their citizens the alliance is a military organization, not just a political one, French Armed Forces Minister Sébastien Lecornu said in a press briefing with German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, after they met in Paris on Wednesday.
During his first term, Trump regularly slammed European countries for not spending enough on defense, saying they were taking advantage of U.S. military power. At a campaign rally in February, the former president said he would encourage Russia to “do whatever they hell they want” to NATO members that didn’t meet their financial obligations to the alliance.
“The question of multilateralism is at stake, the question of how we as Europeans position ourselves in this world order,” Pistorius said. “We have to close ranks in order to be able to fully develop our strength. In the future, this will be even more important than in the past.”
Germany and France have a significant contribution to make on defense, as the European Union’s largest economies, but Poland also has a central role to play as NATO’s largest country in Eastern Europe, Pistorius said. The U.K and Italy should also be part of defense cooperation, and the German minister said he and Lecornu will invite their counterparts from Warsaw, London and Rome for a meeting of the five countries in Berlin within the next two weeks.
The U.S. will remain an important partner – “it can’t be any different” – Pistorius said. The EU and the U.S. have shared interests, and geopolitical challenges such as upholding international law, guaranteeing free trade, security of the seas and freedom of movement can only be tackled by the NATO partners sticking together, according to the minister.
The call for unity comes at a tenuous time for both nations. France held snap elections this year that resulted in a parliament without any majority, and a government without a clear mandate that nevertheless has announced billions of spending cuts to reign in a galloping budget deficit.
Lecornu emphasized the need for France to pursue its 2024-2030 defense spending plan regardless of the country’s domestic difficulties.
In the German capital, as Pistorius was speaking in Paris, the governing coalition collapsed, with social-democratic Chancellor Olaf Scholz pushing to oust Finance Minister Christian Lindner of the Free Liberals. Differences had come to a head within the three-party coalition over Lindner’s resistance against emergency spending on everything from energy price caps to Ukraine assistance, Scholz said in statement Wednesday evening.
The incoming U.S. President has been skeptical about continuing to support Ukraine as it fights off a Russian invasion, and European leaders and defense analysts are worried about how to avoid a Ukrainian defeat should Trump decide to cut aid to the embattled nation.
The war waged by Russian President Vladimir Putin in Ukraine makes clear that Europe can’t afford to have any defense capability gaps, according to Pistorius. Ukraine will continue to need the support of European nations, with the military situation “anything but promising at the moment,” the German minister said.
Trump’s anticipated victory creates “considerable uncertainty” for both Ukraine and its international partners, said Matthew Savill, military sciences director at the U.K.’s Royal United Services Institute, in an emailed comment. Europe and NATO should consider whether they can do more for Ukraine, as Trump’s desire for a peace deal “does not bode well for sustained U.S. support.”
NATO will have to focus on keeping the alliance together, rather than on the growing threat of Russia, said Ed Arnold, RUSI’s senior research fellow for European security. If neither NATO or the EU can step up quickly to continue support for Ukraine, “then European coalitions of the willing must step up, requiring bold leadership which has been lacking for several years,” Arnold said.
Europe has to be able to do more to defend itself, as well as protect its defense industries, Lecornu said. He said the first necessity, “and this will come as no surprise, is to continue re-arming.”
(Source: Defense News)
07 Nov 24. DOD Makes Loans to Industry for Critical Technology Development, Production. On Dec. 1, 2022, the Defense Department announced the creation of the Office of Strategic Capital, or OSC, to ensure that critical technologies get the funding needed to make it through product development, followed by production. These critical technologies usually have application for both military and civilian use.
Jason Rathje, director, OSC, spoke today at a Center for Strategic and International Studies webcast on “Funding Allied Innovation: Ensuring Advanced Capabilities for the Future Warfighter.”
Some of the most important technology areas for national security include energy, advanced materials and quantum science. These technology areas are extremely expensive and require a lot of time and money to develop before a return on investment is realized, he said.
OSC was developed to incentivize industry to reinvest or expand their investment in many of these capital-intensive technology areas, Rathje said.
Last year, OSC was authorized to be the lender for DOD. Therefore, OSC has unique authorities to grant and guarantee loans in support of this mission and enable industry to scale up production and generate revenue, he said.
As an example, Rathje pointed to an investment in next-generation semiconductors, where U.S. and allied investments are low, due to the length of time needed to go from research and development to production and profitability.
Rathje also mentioned the need for industry to be aware of and take appropriate actions regarding supply chain vulnerabilities. Collaboration and coordination between government and industry can ensure supply chains become more resilient.
To safeguard national interests, OSC incorporates comprehensive reviews of adversarial capital investments and influence, according to OSC’s fiscal year 2024 investment strategy.
These reviews assess potential investors and their affiliations to identify connections with entities, persons or countries of concern that may pose risks to national security, economic security or the integrity of the supply chains needed for defense.
OSC will also use a coordinated risk-based approach with allies and partners to ensure that decisions about risk are informed within the global context. (Source: U.S. DoD)
07 Nov 24. DOD Austin Highlights Critical Role of Partnerships at Southcom Change of Command. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III underscored the power of U.S. partnerships in bolstering shared values throughout the Western Hemisphere as he presided over the U.S. Southern Command change of command ceremony today at the combatant command’s headquarters in Doral, Florida.
Austin praised outgoing Southcom Commander Army Gen. Laura J. Richardson and the service members and civilian personnel who fill Southcom’s ranks for their unrelenting focus on strengthening security across Latin America and the Carribean.
“Every day, Southcom keeps the watch throughout our hemisphere,” Austin said.
“This hemisphere is home to so many growing economies and vibrant democracies,” he said. “But your also includes pressing security challenges, including transnational crime, irregular migration, fundraising by transnational terrorist groups and natural disasters fueled by climate change. And so, on every level, Southcom’s mission is close to home.”
Key to Southcom’s success in responding to these challenges, Austin said, has been Richardson’s focus on strengthening partnerships throughout the region.
Throughout Richardson’s tenure, which began as the region was still emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic, Southcom conducted 24 joint exercises and trained alongside nearly 40,000 participants from more than 30 countries.
“Those exercises strengthen interoperability,” Austin said. “They foster trust, and they forge stronger partnerships across the region. And that makes everybody more secure. Those ties are crucial as the U.S. and its partners respond to emerging crises.”
Austin noted Southcom’s leadership as the Defense Department continues to support the Kenyan-led U.N. mission in Haiti.
“Together, we’ve helped to reestablish security at the airport in Port-au-Prince. And that let security forces from Kenya and other countries safely arrive in Haiti,” Austin said. “And we’ll continue to support the Haitian security forces as they reestablish safety and stability for the Haitian people.”
Austin also noted that Southcom and DOD work alongside partner nations to counter transnational criminal groups and to detect and monitor the trafficking of illicit drugs.
The United States’ close partnerships with like-minded nations are also critical as China attempts to expand its malign influence throughout the region, Austin said.
Austin warned that China continues to work to exploit insecurity and the need for economic investment in the region as a means to expand its influence and advance its malign agenda.
Richardson echoed Austin’s concerns over China’s attempts to expand its influence throughout Latin America and the Carribean. And she warned of Russia’s continued attempts to employ malign activities and spread disinformation throughout the region.
“This is a call to action,” Richardson said. “And this is a fight between democracy and autocracy. It’s that simple. Our rules based international order is at stake, and we have to stick together as team democracy.”
Both leaders highlighted the key role partnerships will continue to serve in countering the threats posed by Russia and China in the region.
“The United States has a very different approach,” Austin said. “We’re working hard to strengthen full and respectful partnerships rooted in our shared values of democracy, human rights and opportunity for all.”
During the ceremony, Richardson, the first woman to command Southcom, handed the reins to Navy Adm. Alvin Holsey, the first African American to assume the role. During his remarks, Holsey affirmed his commitment to continue forging lasting ties throughout the region.
These partnerships, he said, are the best deterrence to our shared security and economic concerns.
“We will always be there for like-minded nations who share our values of democracy, the rule of law and human rights,” he said. (Source: U.S. DoD)
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