'A Challenge And Opportunity' For Ukraine
By Sashko Shevchenko
With Ukraine heavily dependent on U.S. military and financial support to fight its war against Russia, the election is being closely watched in Kyiv.
Trump has repeatedly questioned U.S. support for Ukraine, saying that Europe should bear the brunt of supporting Kyiv against Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion. If elected, Trump has repeatedly said he would end the war very quickly, although he has not said how exactly he would do that.
The head of Ukraine's parliamentary foreign affairs committee, Oleksandr Merezhko, tells RFE/RL that he sees "both a challenge and an opportunity" in a possible Trump victory.
"Trump will be guided exclusively by the interests of the United States, as he understands them, so we will have to prove to him that it is in the interests of the United States to continue supporting Ukraine," Merezhko says.
While he says Ukraine should be prepared for the former president winning, he adds that it is not yet clear what Trump's policy toward Ukraine would be.
If elected, "much will become clear when, for example, he chooses a national-security adviser. There are different people in Trump's circle with different views on U.S. policy toward Ukraine. Among them are those who understand well why the United States should continue to support Ukraine."
Wary Iranians Anticipate Four More Years Of Trump
By Kian Sharifi
Ahead of the election, Iranian officials and state-linked media were adamant that the outcome of the U.S. presidential poll had little bearing on Iran. As such, they said, they did not care much about it.
But state-affiliated media closely followed the results and issued updates on the popular messaging app Telegram overnight -- a practice they reserve only for major Iranian elections.
Regardless of who wins the election, Iranian officials will likely dismiss its significance. But with Trump on track to win the election, reactions from ordinary Iranians are trickling in.
As part of his “maximum pressure” policy on Iran in his first term in office, Trump withdrew the United States from the landmark nuclear deal with Iran and reimposed sanctions that had been lifted under its terms. In response, Iran expanded its nuclear program and restricted access to international nuclear inspectors.
Trump also ordered the killing of top Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, for which Iran has vowed vengeance.
Iran’s economy is still reeling from sanctions and Trump’s expected victory will likely lead to the further depreciation of the Iranian rial.
An economist based in Tehran wrote on X that Trump’s likely victory was “the worst result for Iran.”
Meanwhile, a pro-reform journalist expressed hope on X that Iranian authorities have learned lessons from Trump’s first four years in office.
Hard-liners, meanwhile, are sticking to the official line before the election that “both candidates are as bad as each other.”
A conservative pundit described Masud Pezeshkian, Iran's reformist president who took office in late July, as "the unluckiest president in Iran's history" because in his brief tenure he has had to deal with a brewing conflict with Israel and now has to contend with Trump.
Upon taking office, Pezeshkian vowed to engage the West in a bid to lift economic sanctions that have crippled Iran's economy.
The spokesperson for Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharova, reacted on Telegram with schadenfreude over Kamala Harris:
Kamala Harris was right when she quoted Psalm 30:5: "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning."
Hallelujah, I'll add myself.
In Budapest, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has openly endorsed Donald Trump's presidential bid, said early today on his Facebook page about the U.S. election: "On the way to a beautiful victory."
Trump Edges Closer To Victory With Wins In Key States
By RFE/RL
Former President Donald Trump, the Republican challenger, edged closer to retaking the White House in the U.S. presidential election after winning battleground states North Carolina and Georgia, leaving his challenger, Vice President Kamala Harris, a very narrow path to victory.
The historic presidential election on November 5 will likely have major implications for Russia's war in Ukraine, the war conflict in the Middle East, and other global issues.
According to unofficial U.S. media projects, Trump was leading Harris with 246 Electoral College votes to Harris’s 210 – with 270 votes needed to become the country’s 47th president.
In the remaining key races -- Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin -- Trump held narrow leads, leaving Harris little hope of recovering.
The Trump campaign said after midnight that the candidate would travel from his estate in Florida to the convention center in Palm Beach to address supporters.
Welcome
Hi, everyone.
I'm Grant Podelco, the editor in chief of RFE/RL's English website, and I'm here to bring you the latest and most compelling reactions to the U.S. presidential election from RFE/RL's region. Our teams are on standby, ready to provide up-to-the-minute updates on what this election means for Ukraine, Russia, Iran, Afghanistan, and beyond.
Stay with us for updates, expert analysis, and all the news you need to understand how this election could impact the landscape across our region.