President Trump turned American foreign policy on its head, tolerating and even supporting dictators such as Vladimir Putin, and right-wing elected leaders like Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, while alienating long-term allies such as the European countries of NATO. As it became evident that Biden was likely to win, various heads of state began reacting to an upcoming Biden presidency and a post-Trump America.

Many world leaders who have been friendly with Trump, such as Putin and the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, have remained silent on Biden’s win. Other Trump allies, however, seem to be jumping ship. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been one of Trump’s biggest allies, declined to co-sign a Trump insult against Biden last month, and the Israeli leader has now congratulated Biden on his win and called him "a great friend of Israel." In neighboring Egypt, President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, Trump’s “favorite dictator,” was also quick to congratulate Biden. Even Putin refused to endorse a Trump-backed conspiracy theory about Biden’s son, Hunter, during the election.

While some leaders may be happier than others concerning Biden’s win, most of them seem to acknowledge that Biden’s long history of foreign policy experience – he was a key member and sometimes chair of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee for decades – means that he will bring attention and professionalism to U.S. foreign relations. Among Biden's agenda items for his first days in office will be the reversal of several of President Trump's policies; doing so will include rejoining the Paris Climate Accords and the World Health Organization, according to CNN.

Meanwhile, various reports from around the world cite people setting off fireworks in celebration soon after Biden’s victory was announced Saturday. The Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, tweeted – in English – a congratulatory message to Biden and Harris that began with “Welcome Back America!”

Welcome back America! Congratulations to @JoeBiden and @KamalaHarris for their election! While we are about to celebrate the 5th anniversary of the Paris Agreement, this victory symbolizes our need to act together more than ever, in view of climate emergency. ????????#Election2020

— Anne Hidalgo (@Anne_Hidalgo) November 7, 2020

2020 has been a strange and tragic year, with an appropriately unusual election cycle to match. It only seems fitting that the time between the election and the inauguration, usually an uneventful period of behind-the-scenes activities, is instead filled with continued fights and uncertainty. But regardless of how chaotic the end of both 2020 and the Trump administration will be, 2021 will bring a new start and a new presidency that will both be greeted with sighs of relief by many people in the U.S. and around the world.

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