US Elections: World Leaders Still Not Recognizing Joe Biden's Victory
While dozens of presidents and leaders around the world rushed to congratulate Joe Biden once he was officially declared the winner of the US election, some - very notable - are conspicuous by their silence.
Many of the congratulatory messages were accompanied by public statements noting the good relations and alliances with the US and the enthusiasm at the prospect of working together on issues of joint and global concern.
These included the leaders of the UK, most of Europe, governments in Asia, the Middle East, Africa and America.
Exceptions in Latin America
In the American continent there were two important exceptions: Brazil and Mexico, curiously governments recognized as populist.
President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil continues to be silent regarding the official declaration of Biden's victory.
Bolsonaro has always been an outspoken admirer of the US president and a copycat of his leadership style to the point where he has been branded the "Latin American Trump."
From the beginning, Bolsonaro expressed hope in Trump's re-election and one of his sons Bolsonaro - who works in the government - was seen wearing a cap with the acronym MAGA (Make America Great Again), the main slogan of the Republican president.
For his part, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) had words, but not congratulations, but to explain that he would not do so until the legal claims that the Donald Trump campaign announced that it would file against the electoral result were resolved.
Some observers indicate that AMLO's position is due to the fact that he wants to avoid a conflict with the current government in Washington with which he has had a cordial relationship.
López Obrador was in Washington recently for the enactment of the new North American Free Trade Agreement and expressed that President Trump has treated Mexico "with respect."
Rival powers
Two great world powers have followed the example of Mexico.
The governments of Russia and China remained reserved for several days before issuing statements on the matter, however, this Monday they reacted with caution.
The Kremlin said it would wait for all official results to be known and all legal obstacles to be cleared.
Although President Vladimir Putin congratulated Donald Trump the day after his victory in 2016, this time he has not congratulated the president-elect.
However, Kremlin spokesman Dimitri Peskov clarified to the press that Putin has repeatedly said that he is prepared to work with any American leader and seek a normalization of strained bilateral relations.
China also pointed to the legal obstacles that can stand in the way of the official result, and President Xi Jinping refrained from congratulating Biden.
Relations between Washington and Beijing are going through their lowest point in decades, particularly due to the series of sanctions imposed by the Trump administration and its disputes in the technological field, the crackdown in Hong Kong and the coronavirus outbreak.
But Biden has also been highly critical of China and Jinping, promising to maintain pressure and a tough stance against Beijing.
Discordant tone in Turkey
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is another leader at a global nerve center who has also not sent his congratulations to Joe Biden.
Although analysts in Turkey have discussed what changes in the relationship may take place with the new occupant of the White House, the pro-government Turkish media has maintained an anti-Biden tone.
One of the sources of tension between Ankara and Washington is the more active role that Turkey has taken in Syria.
It should be noted that Saudi Arabia, which until Sunday also remained silent, finally congratulated the president-elect 24 hours after the result was officially announced in the United States.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman - Saudi Arabia's de facto leader - congratulated Biden and Kamala Harris and highlighted the close relations between the two countries, according to the state agency SPA.
Bin Salman has a strong relationship with Trump, shielding him from international criticism for human rights violations, the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and Riyadh's intervention in the Yemen war.
All these issues, as well as the relationship between the two countries, promise to be reconsidered by the new Joe Biden government.
