By the time you are reading this article, it is more than likely that you would have heard about the attack on capitol hill by a mob on 6th January 2020. Some have called it a coup attempt, others said that Trump did not have the organizational acumen to mount a coup, and this was just a TV stunt. Some of Trump’s allies have broken away from him, others have gotten even more extreme and have blamed the Antifa for the riots. The republican party is divided on whether Trump handled the riots. Analysts have called the storming an act of white supremacy, led by people who follow the conspiracy theories propagated by Qanon. Democrats are calling for his impeachment. Twitter and Facebook have banned Trump. In all the chaos, it is important to remember that 5 people lost their lives and the impact of the riots will not only destabilize the US polity but it will have a great impact on the world. In this article, we will look at how the major countries across the world reacted to the fiasco that occurred in Washington. We will also touch upon (in brief) on how the trump presidency has shaped these nations and whats next for them.
Britain
Following the carnage, Boris Johnson tweeted out the following
If this was not enough, later he called Trump’s actions completely wrong. It surprised many that Johnson, once seen as a trump ally, led the attack on Trump. The move is not surprising if you consider the domestic situation in Britain. Johnson’s approval ratings have taken a massive hit as the COVID pandemic continues to ravage Britain. In addition, Britain finally exited the European Union on 1st January 2021. The event is likely to hurt the British economy, and the Johnson administration will be eager to work with the incoming Biden Administration to forge new trade deals and improve its standing.
Germany and France
I think it will be fair to say that Angela Merkel has no love lost for Donald Trump. Trump had reportedly called Merkel stupid in a phone call, and then there is the iconic photo of Merkel confronting Trump in the G-7 summit in 2018. Merkel, who will retire in 2021, said that she deeply regretted that “President Trump has not conceded his defeat, since November and again yesterday.” Trump has attacked and weakened Nato according to some, and Germany would want the new president to bolster Nato. The French president Emmanuel Macron called the storming of the capitol hill “not American”. The French would want the US to enter back into the Paris climate agreement, a couple of months after the US officially withdrew from the agreement.
Iran
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini questioned western democracy after the attack. He accused the US of trying to start the civil war in Iran in 2009.
and said that “God has afflicted them with the same predicament in 2021.
Under President Trump, the USA withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal that led to the imposition of sanctions and assassinated its top military commander. Trump has been critical of Iran throughout his reign, frequently threatening the country. In response, Tehran had launched disinformation campaigns in the 2020 elections. Recently, it was revealed that Iran was violating all the restrictions of the Nuclear Deal. This is largely seen as leverage that the Iranians are using, hoping Joe Biden would reinstate the nuclear deal.
Russia
In response to the storming, the head of the foreign affairs committee in Russia’s Federation Council, Konstantin Kochanev said that the “celebration of democracy is over”. Maria Zakharova, the foreign affairs spokesperson, stated that the matter was an “internal issue for the USA” but “the electoral system in the U.S. is archaic and doesn’t meet modern democratic standards”
In her book, Putin’s World: Russia Against the West and with the Rest, Angela sting gives seven pillars of Russian foreign policy. Two of them—the creation of a post west order and a fracturing of the western alliance—have been served well under the Trump presidency. Even though he has imposed some sanctions on Russia, Trump is considered to be friendly to Russia. Russia was involved in hacking into the electoral rolls in 2016 and taking part in misinformation campaigns. Russia has said that it expects nothing positive from the Biden administration.
China
The Chinese media compared the storming of the capital to protestors storming Hong Kong’s Legislative assembly in 2019. The editorial in Global times stated “USA will only see its tragedy when it loses its hysterical sense of superiority” and “true vitality of a country's economy mirrors whether its democracy is real and effective”. Other headlines on the site included “Is US entering an ideological ‘Civil War’?” and “US should be careful of an 'American Spring'”. The Chinese also said that by banning trump on Twitter, the United States has lost the “moral high ground in criticizing others on free speech”.
Under Xi-Jin Ping, the Chinese have been aggressively trying to occupy the void of a challenge to the United States. Trump started the trade wars and campaigned on anti china rhetoric. The policies may have helped in the short run, but the trade-off in the Trump years has been the hyperpolarization of politics that has left many questions; including whether liberal democracy is the best way to run a country. In addition, the US has withdrawn from agencies such as the WHO. These factors have expanded China’s clout. A Biden administration will be lighter on China, but it would be difficult for it to reclaim the space ceded in the Trump era.