New Delhi, January 07: Leaders from around the world, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau and New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern, shared their thoughts after a mob stormed the US Capitol on Wednesday afternoon. The breach by the mob forced members of the House and Senate to suspend a joint session of Congress to certify President-elect Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 US election.
"Distressed to see news about rioting and violence in Washington DC. Orderly and peaceful transfer of power must continue. The democratic process cannot be allowed to be subverted through unlawful protests", tweeted PM Modi this morning. Here's what the other leaders said.
Britain
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Twitter condemned the "disgraceful scenes in U.S. Congress. The United States stands for democracy around the world and it is now vital that there should be a peaceful and orderly transfer of power". British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab added in his own tweet: "The US rightly takes great pride in its democracy, and there can be no justification for these violent attempts to frustrate the lawful and proper transition of power."
European Union
The EU's foreign policy chief condemned an "assault on US democracy". "In the eyes of the world, American democracy tonight appears under siege," Josep Borrell tweeted. Calling the action an "assault on US democracy, its institutions and the rule of law", he added: "This is not America. The election results of 3 November must be fully respected."
France
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian condemned "a serious attack on democracy". "The violence against American institutions are a serious attack on democracy. I condemn it," Le Drian tweeted. "The will and the votes of the American people must be respected."
Germany
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas called on Trump supporters to "stop trampling on democracy". "Trump and his supporters should finally accept the decision of American voters and stop trampling on democracy," Maas tweeted. "The enemies of democracy will be pleased to see these incredible images from Washington DC," he added. "Inflammatory words turn into violent actions." German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz, who is also the vice chancellor, likewise condemned the "disturbing images" from Washington.
Canada
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted that the scenes at the US Capitol were an "attack on democracy. Canadians are deeply disturbed and saddened by the attack on democracy in the United States, our closest ally and neighbour," he said.
Australia
Australian PM Scott Morrison condemned the "very distressing scenes" in the US. "We condemn these acts of violence and look forward to a peaceful transfer of Government to the newly elected administration in the great American democratic tradition," he tweeted.
New Zealand
Jacinda Ardern tweeted: "Democracy - the right of people to exercise a vote, have their voice heard and then have that decision upheld peacefully should never be undone by a mob." The PM added her country's thoughts were with everyone "devastated" by today's events, adding: "what is happening is wrong."
The Netherlands
"Horrible images from Washington D.C. Dear @realDonaldTrump, recognise @JoeBiden as the next president today," Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on Twitter. The plain-speaking Rutte once during a visit to the White House in 2018 interrupted Trump with a loud "no" when Trump made an assertion about EU-US trade.
Fiji
The prime minister of Fiji Frank Bainimarama -- who lead a coup in 2006 and was accused of assaulting an opposition lawmaker in 2019 -- added his condemnation. "The violent scenes we saw in Washington today are an affront to democracies around the globe. True and genuine democracy is a precious treasure that no nation should ever take for granted," he tweeted.
