US election: World leaders who have not congratulated Joe Biden
Some of the US’s biggest and closest allies in Europe, Asia and the Middle East were quick to congratulate US President-elect Joe Biden. But there have been one or two notable exceptions who remain a bit more cautious.
Russian President Vladimir Putin
Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the Kremlin will refrain from commenting on Biden's victory until legal challenges to the election are resolved and the result is official. "Certain legal procedures are coming there, which were announced by the incumbent president, therefore this situation is different, so we consider it correct to wait for the official announcement."
China acknowledges win after week delay
On November 13, China congratulated Joe Biden on his victory nearly a week after he was declared the winner of the US presidential election. "We respect the choice of the American people," China's foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said. He added: "At the same time, the result will be confirmed according to US laws and procedures."
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro
The right-wing president had said he would be the first leader in the world to congratulate Donald Trump. But Bolsonaro has remained silent on Biden. "I think the president is waiting for this imbroglio over fraudulent votes to be resolved," Vice President Hamilton Mourao told reporters. Bolsonaro will congratulate Biden "at the right time" and see what happens with Trump's lawsuits.
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador
Lopez Obrador has said he was bound by the constitution from offering his congratulations to the winner until the legal disputes were sorted out, reiterating an earlier posture. "How can a president of Mexico become a judge and say: 'This candidate won'?" Lopez Obrador told a news conference. He briefly referred to Biden as the "possible president-elect", before emphasizing Mexico took no side.
North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un
There has been no response to Biden's results from Kim. North Korean state media has been silent on the US elections as of Monday. But Pyongyang made no mention of Donald Trump's 2016 victory either until two days after his election. In the past, Kim has called Biden "a fool of low IQ." Biden, meanwhile, has described Kim as a "thug."
Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa
The far-right anti-immigration Slovenian Democratic Party leader, who prematurely hailed Trump as the winner of the election long before the vote counts were near completion, is yet to congratulate Biden. Jansa has repeated allegations of voter fraud carried out by Democrats. He has tweeted, however, that Slovenia hoped for "friendly relations" with Washington.
Some of the US’s biggest and closest allies in Europe, Asia and the Middle East were quick to congratulate president-elect Joe Biden, despite Donald Trump’s refusal to concede. But a handful of countries, including Russia, Brazil and Mexico, were a bit more cautious, holding off their congratulations, saying they would rather wait and follow the usual custom.