Leading politicians around the world condemn the apparent assassination attempt on former US President Donald Trump

World leaders expressed concern on Sunday about an alleged assassination attempt on former U.S. President Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania that left one participant dead and two others seriously injured.

Trump’s campaign said the likely Republican nominee was “fine” after being led off the stage, although the shooting pierced the top of his right ear.

The Secret Service said the suspected gunman was killed because he attacked from an elevated position outside the rally site.

US authorities are still investigating the shooting.

Australia

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the “inexcusable attack” on the shared democratic values ​​of the United States and Australia.

“In Australia, as in the United States, the nature and purpose of our democracies is that we can express our views, discuss our differences and resolve our differences peacefully,” Albanese told reporters in Australia’s Parliament House.

Austria

In a television interview with X, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer expressed his horror at the attempt.

“Political violence has no place in our society!” he said.

Brazil

Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva described the events at X as unacceptable and said the attack must be “strongly condemned” by all defenders of democracy.

His predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro, a close ally of Trump, expressed solidarity with “the greatest leader in the world right now.” Bolsonaro was stabbed in the stomach at a campaign rally before the 2018 presidential election, which he won.

Trump, he told reporters, was saved by just a few inches. “Understanding that is something that comes from above,” he added.

Canada

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he was sickened by the shooting and his thoughts were with Trump, those present and all Americans.

“It cannot be stressed enough – political violence is never acceptable,” he wrote on X.

China

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement that China was concerned about the attack and that President Xi Jinping had already expressed his condolences to Trump.

Czech Republic

Czech President Petr Pavel wished Trump a speedy recovery and said there was “no place for violence in a democratic society,” adding that politicians must “try to calm the situation.”

Egypt

Egyptian President Abdelfattah El Sissi stressed in a statement that his country condemns the attack and expressed his wish for a peaceful continuation of the US election campaign.

France

French President Emmanuel Macron wished Trump a speedy recovery. “It is a tragedy for our democracies. France shares the indignation of the American people,” he posted on X.

Germany

Chancellor Olaf Scholz wrote on X that the attack was “despicable” and that such acts of violence threaten democracy. “My heartfelt sympathy also goes out to the other people who were injured in the attack,” he said.

Hungary

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said his thoughts and prayers were with Trump “in these dark hours.”

India

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was deeply concerned about “the attack on my friend.”

“Condemn the incident in the strongest possible terms. Violence has no place in politics and in democracies,” he wrote on X.

Iraq

Masrour Barzani, the prime minister of Iraq’s Kurdistan region, condemned the attack “in the strongest possible terms” and said on X that his thoughts were with the victims of “this senseless act of terror.”

Israel

At the start of the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he watched “in horror” and added that the attack was also an “assassination of American democracy”.

He said everyone in Israel was sending Trump wishes for “a speedy recovery and return to full strength.”

Italy

Italian President Sergio Mattarella said in a statement that the attack was a cause for great concern and “a worrying symptom of the disintegration of civil society and the dangerous rejection of confrontation, dialogue and respect for democratic life.”

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni wished Trump a speedy recovery.

Japan

“We must firmly oppose any form of violence that challenges democracy,” said Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at X.

Mexico

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador condemned the attack on X, saying: “Violence is irrational and inhuman.”

Pakistan

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called the shooting a “shocking development.” He said he condemned all violence in politics and wished the former president a speedy recovery and good health.

And jailed Pakistani opposition leader and former prime minister Imran Khan, who was shot and injured at a rally in November 2022, wished Trump a full recovery. “Political violence is a tool of cowards and has no place in a democracy,” he said on X.

Russia

According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Russian President Vladimir Putin currently has no plans to call Trump.

“We do not think or believe at all that the attempt to eliminate presidential candidate Trump was organized by the current administration, but the atmosphere that this administration created during the political struggle, the atmosphere around candidate Trump, provoked what America is facing today,” he added.

Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, said on her Telegram channel on Sunday that US politicians should use the money they spend on arms deliveries to Ukraine “to finance the American police and other services designed to ensure law and order in the United States.”

South Africa

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa wrote on X that the assassination attempt on Trump was “a stark reminder of the dangers of political extremism and intolerance.”

Ramaphosa also expressed his hope that “the citizens and leaders of America will have the strength and vision to reject violence and seek peaceful solutions.”

Slovakia

Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico, who survived an assassination attempt in May, condemned the shooting in a Facebook post, drawing direct parallels between the two incidents and suggesting that the attack on Trump was the result of a campaign by his political opponents.

Taiwan

Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te said on X that his thoughts and prayers were with Trump, adding that political violence of any kind was never acceptable “in our democracies.”

Turkey

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned the shooting of X and conveyed his best wishes to Trump, his family and supporters.

He said he was confident that “the investigation into the attack will be conducted effectively” so as not to affect the US elections.

The European Commission

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on X that she was deeply shocked by the shooting, adding that political violence has no place in a democracy.

Ukraine

Also on X, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was horrified to learn of the shooting and said such violence was unjustifiable, adding that he was relieved to learn Trump was safe.

Zelenskyy wished strength to all those who were horrified by the events.

United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates Foreign Ministry condemned the attack on Trump and called it a “criminal and extremist act.”

Great Britain

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told US broadcaster X that he was appalled by the “shocking scenes” and conveyed his best wishes to Trump and his family.

“Political violence in any form has no place in our society,” he said.

British politician Nigel Farage, a friend of Trump, tried to shift much of the blame onto the “mainstream media,” which he said was biased against the former president. He told the BBC it was an “appalling” incident, but somehow he was not shocked by it.

Vatican

In a statement, the Vatican expressed concern about “last night’s episode of violence, which harms people and democracy and causes suffering and death.” Pope Francis previously did not mention the apparent assassination attempt in his weekly prayers.

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Associated Press journalists from around the world contributed to this report.