Russia, Ukraine and Israel react to Biden's decision to end his campaign

US President Joe Biden announced on July 21 that he was withdrawing from his re-election campaign after Democrats lost faith in his mental acumen and ability to defeat his opponent Donald Trump.

In a post on social network X on the afternoon of July 21, US Eastern time, President Biden suddenly announced his withdrawal from the 2024 presidential re-election campaign, and at the same time supported Vice President Kamala Harris to replace him as the Democratic candidate to face the Republican candidate.

Mr. Biden's move puts this year's US presidential election in an unpredictable situation.

Reacting to President Biden's unexpected decision, leaders of many countries expressed respect for his decision.

In a statement on the same day, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer expressed his desire to continue working with the US leader “for the remainder of his presidency”, emphasizing: “In my opinion, … President Biden has made a decision based on what he believes will serve the best interests of the American people”.

Meanwhile, the Kremlin said it was monitoring developments after President Biden announced his withdrawal from the race, and said that "a lot can change" at this stage.

Speaking to reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stressed: “The US presidential election is still four months away. It is a long road, in which many things can change. We need to pay attention, monitor what will happen and affect our work.”

For his part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked President Biden for his “unwavering support” in his country’s fight. “Many strong decisions have been made in recent years, and they will be remembered as bold steps taken by President Biden to deal with challenging times. We will always be grateful for President Biden’s leadership,” President Zelensky shared on social media X.

“The Australia-US alliance has never been stronger, with our shared commitment to democratic values, international security, economic prosperity and climate action for this and future generations,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a social media post.

In the Middle East, Israeli President Isaac Herzog thanked his counterpart Biden for his “friendship and steadfast support for the people of Israel.” The leader described Biden as a “true ally of the Jewish people” in a post on social media X. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant thanked President Biden for his support and said his steadfast support, especially during the war, was “invaluable.”

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also thanked President Biden for making difficult decisions. “Poland, America and the world are safer and democracy is stronger because of this,” Prime Minister Tusk wrote.