Russian opposition figures comment on Trump’s victory:
“Trump defeated Kamala decisively! No one predicted this. Now he has a mandate for change. I don’t know what will happen, but it will definitely not be boring!” -- Mikhail Khodorkovsky, exiled former oil tycoon, wrote on X.
Ivan Zhdanov, director of Aleksei Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation, tried to downplay the possible impact of Trump’s victory on U.S.-Russia relations. “The entire feed is filled with Trump. Everything will be fine, why are you so worried?” Zhdanov wrote.
A Russian opposition activist residing in Ukraine, Roman Popkov, expressed hope that even if Trump makes some peace proposals to Putin, which would be favorable for the Russian leader, they would be rejected by Russia, pushing the president-elect to implement stricter policies towards Russia:
“The only hope right now is this: In January, after the inauguration, Trump will present Putin with a plan for an agreement to stop the hostilities. It’s not about statements in Trump’s usual style: ‘I called Putin and said, ‘Vladimir, we need to end this war!’ We had a very strong conversation.’
"No, it’s about specific proposals from the new administration that Trump will find reasonable and quite beneficial for Russia. But these proposals will still be unacceptable to Putin. Because Putin lives on a different planet. Once again, like in the days before February 24, 2022, Putin doesn’t feel the ground beneath his feet; he wants everything, or almost everything, again. Then Trump will consider that he’s not being regarded as a ‘strong leader,’ with all the consequences that follow,” Popkov wrote on Facebook.
Andriy Sadoviy, the mayor of the western Ukrainian city of Lviv:
"Republican Trump won the election, but democracy won again. America has once again proved that democracy is not just a comfortable word. It lives in the ability of society to make decisions freely. Even when not everyone likes it."
Activist Hamid Asefi in Tehran speaks to Radio Farda:
"The important point is that many people are indulging in wishful thinking, assuming that Trump will come and overthrow the Islamic republic. However, Trump's policy has never been about regime change, but rather focused on negotiations. While the Islamic republic largely ignored him in the past four years, many politicians and analysts in Iran now believe they can easily strike a deal with Trump, as he is a dealmaker. "
-- Hannah Kaviani
Georgia’s Political Landscape Eyes Changes With Trump Presidency
By Luka Pertaia
As world leaders are congratulating Donald Trump on his reelection, both Georgia’s ruling party and opposition believe that a Trump presidency will further their political goals.
Georgia’s divisive Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze congratulated Trump on his victory, expressing hope that his leadership will “ensure a restart in Georgian-US relations”.
One-time close allies and strategic partners, the U.S. and Georgia have recently experienced historic lows in their increasingly strained relations.
Georgian Dream officials have lashed out at the U.S. Embassy in Tbilisi, accusing it of supporting “two revolution attempts” between 2020 and 2023.
In response to what it sees as democratic backsliding, the U.S. has imposed financial sanctions on two Georgian security officials and visa restrictions on numerous judges and over 60 other Georgians, including (so far unnamed) senior government figures.
Following the contested October 26 parliamentary elections, which the opposition claims were rigged, the U.S. State Department noted that international observers did not deem the results free and fair, and called for an investigation.
Mamuka Mdinaradze, leader of the parliamentary majority of Georgian Dream, stated that Trump, like Georgian Dream, supports “peace, prosperity, economic growth, and family values.”
Meanwhile, opposition parties, fighting for reelection, hope for stricter U.S. policies toward the Georgian government, which has been under Georgian Dream control since 2012.
“The support that Georgian people have from the United States will only strengthen,” Nika Melia, a leader of the Coalition for Change, told RFE/RL’s Georgian Service.
Tina Bokuchava, chair of the former ruling party United National Movement, asserted at a protest rally that a government rigging elections will not be welcomed by any U.S. administration, whether Biden, Trump, or otherwise.
Georgia's pro-European president, Salome Zurabishvili, who, like the opposition, refused to recognize the validity of the election results, alleging massive fraud and Russian interference, has also congratulated Donald Trump.
“A strong United States -- our strategic partner and friend of 33 years -- is needed now more than ever to support Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic integration, bolster regional security and stability, and safeguard our freedom, and independence,” she wrote on X.
Iran Should Consider Dialogue With The U.S., Says Pro-Reform Cleric
By Parisa Sohbati and Kian Sharifi
Given how hard-liners in Iran feel about Trump, the idea of sitting down with the president-elect seems very far-fetched – but it’s not impossible, and an Iranian cleric insists that decision-makers in Tehran should consider it.
Religious scholar Mohammad Taqi Fazel Meybodi, a member of the pro-reform Assembly of Qom Seminary Scholars and Researchers, said today that “regardless of who is in power in America, Iran should consider direct negotiations” with Washington.
He said that holding talks with the U.S. does not have to result in re-establishing diplomatic relations but argued, “We can only stand up to America and say what we need to say in direct talks.”
Meybodi asserted that Iran has leverage, but “if we continue as we are, we’ll only suffer more.”
The cleric’s comments are unlikely to be well received by ardent supporters of the Islamic republic. However, the assembly that he’s associated with is no stranger to making comments that shock hard-liners.
Last month, the association appeared to advocate for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which contradicts Iran’s policy of not recognizing the state of Israel.
The U.S. severed diplomatic relations with Iran in April 1980, in the midst of the U.S. Embassy hostage crisis.
Direct talks between Tehran and Washington as part of the so-called P5+1 format resulted in the signing of the nuclear deal in 2015. Trump withdrew from the agreement in 2018.
When Joe Biden entered the White House in 2021, Iran insisted on holding indirect talks with the U.S. to revive the agreement. Talks through intermediaries kicked off in April 2021, but negotiations have stalled since September 2022.
No Congrats: Why The Cold Shoulder From Putin?
By Steve Gutterman
As Donald Trump’s victory was shifting from probability to fact, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters he was unaware of any plans for Russian President Vladimir Putin to congratulate him on the win.
Putin likes to keep everyone guessing – like when he fooled nobody by saying in September that he prefers Kamala Harris. So he could still weigh in, but to refrain from joining the chorus of formal congratulations pouring in from world leaders may have been a no-brainer. Here’s why:
Putin, the Kremlin, and the state-controlled media have demonized the United States and portrayed the full-scale invasion he launched against Ukraine in 2022 as part of a civilizational struggle against an aggressive and morally bankrupt West.
In that context, Putin wants to avoid any impression that he cared about the U.S. election result, or that he is more likely to soften up and make concessions on any contentious issue with Trump in power than with a Biden or Harris administration.
The desire to appear aloof is probably even stronger following reports that Trump secretly sent COVID test equipment to Putin during the pandemic and that the two have spoken several times since Trump left office – something Trump’s campaign denied.
With Trump saying repeatedly that he would broker an end to the war in Ukraine very quickly if elected, Putin may be particularly eager not to look like he’s open to a peace deal on anything other than Russia’s terms.
Baltic States Stress Importance Of U.S.-NATO Relations
By Kristina Zakurdaeva
The presidents of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania have congratulated Donald Trump for his victory in the U.S. presidential election. Their messages were focused on regional security and developing stronger cooperation with Washington:
“I look forward to working with you to strengthen bilateral relations and transatlantic partnership. Europe needs strong US and the US needs strong Europe. Latvia is and will be a strong and reliable partner of the US,” said Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs on X.
“Congratulations @realDonaldTrump on winning the U.S. Presidential election! U.S. is a key strategic ally of Lithuania. We both take our security seriously. Lituania currently allocates 3.5% GDP to defense & will continue increasing our investment. Transatlantic unity is crucial!” wrote the president of Lithuania, Gitanas Nausėda.
Estonian President Alar Karis also stressed the importance of cooperation in global and regional security: “Congratulations to President-elect @realDonaldTrump! #Estonia values its enduring alliance with the United States, founded on shared democratic ideals and a joint commitment to global security. We look forward to continuing to strengthen our close cooperation in years to come.”
For the Baltic states, which border Russia and are highly concerned with regional volatility, U.S.-NATO relations are essential. With Trump’s election, American membership and financial participation in NATO – a critical security ally of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania – might be at stake.
Even before his first presidential term, Trump highly criticized European countries that allocate less than 2 percent of their GDP on security. Trump consistently pushed them to increase defense spending and threatened to leave the alliance unless European members do it.
“The United States should pay its fair share, not everybody else's fair share. NATO has to treat the U.S. fairly, because if it's not for the United States, NATO literally doesn't even exist," said Trump in an interview with the British politician Nigel Farage in spring 2024.
Ahead of the U.S. presidential election, Nausėda called other European states to increase their defense spending amid Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
“With war on Europe's soil & Russia gearing up for a long-term NATO confrontation, every European NATO ally needs to allocate at least 2% of GDP to defense. Commitment starts here. Europe can't rely solely on the US for security. We must grow our own muscles,” wrote Nausėda in a thread on X.
While Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania all contribute around 3 percent of their GDP, they are the ones that are concerned about their security and possible expansion of the war with Russia the most.
What Will A Trump Presidency Mean For Ukraine? For Now, It Means Jitters.
By Mike Eckel
During his first presidency, Donald Trump had a troubled relationship with Ukraine -- and President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in particular.
Trump’s first impeachment was sparked by a phone call in July 2019, in which he appeared to condition U.S. military aid on Zelenskiy pushing a criminal investigation into the son of Joe Biden, who was then a former vice president, and Biden himself.
Fast forward five years: Trump is returning to the White House, and his misgivings about Ukraine – and its beleaguered defense against Russia’s all-out invasion – could very well become formal policy for his new presidency.
Meeting with Zelenskiy in New York two months before the November 5 election, Trump angrily described the impeachment as a “Democratic hoax.” More problematic for Ukraine’s defenses was Trump’s insistence that he would end the war – now in its 33rd month – “very quickly.”
That will happen in part, Trump said, because of what he said was his “good relationship” with Russian leader, Vladimir Putin.
“I think if we win [the election] we’re going to get it resolved very quickly," Trump said.
Putin, meanwhile, has shown no genuine interest in ending the fighting on anything other than Russia’s maximalist terms, which some Ukrainians fear amount to capitulation or even subjugation.
On the campaign trail, Trump also derided Zelenskiy, calling him “the greatest salesman” and criticizing the sizable supplies of U.S. weapons and military equipment – worth $56 billion to date – to help Kyiv withstand the Russian invasion.
“Every time he comes to our country, he walks away with $60 billion,” Trump said in July.
For his part, Zelenskiy, who has considerable bipartisan support in Congress, has sought to build bridges with the Republican leader, and he quickly congratulated Trump on his victory.
“I appreciate President Trump’s commitment to the ‘peace through strength’ approach in global affairs. This is exactly the principle that can…bring [a] just peace in Ukraine closer,” he wrote.
There’s a reason they’re nervous in Kyiv.
"Cooperation with the U.S. is also one of our priorities. We will see how we will continue the cooperation after the official election results are confirmed. Currently, there is a political dialogue with the U.S., and we are working on a strategic agreement with the United States.
"Kyrgyzstan unilaterally terminated its strategic cooperation agreement with the United States in 2015. Since then, the two sides have not signed a new agreement, although negotiations have been ongoing for an extended period."
A banner depicting Ukrainian and U.S. flags in downtown Kyiv on November 6:
