Serbian Prime Minister Milos Vucevic...
"Sincere congratulations on the victory...
"Serbia is committed to strengthening relations with the USA, especially in the context of regional stability, the fight against terrorism and economic development. I expect that in the future we will mutually improve our relations based on understanding and mutual respect."
Reaction of Milorad Dodik, president of Republika Srpska:
Dodik is on a U.S. sanctions list. Read more here.
Former Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány:
"Ha. The world is going to be messier now with Trump for a while. But we will get over this, too."
More from Hungary...
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's political director, Balázs Orban: "I've taken the kids to playschool but today Dad chooses the music in the car:
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev...
Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation and former Russian president, reacts on Telegram:
"A couple of days ago, I wrote on Telegram about the fierce bipartisan anti-Russian consensus on Capitol Hill. These observations hold true, especially with the majority the 'elephants' now hold in the Senate. But Trump has one quality that could benefit us: As a businessman to the core, he has a strong aversion to spending money on various freeloaders and hangers-on -- on foolish allies, bad charity projects, and gluttonous international organizations.
"Toxic Banderite Ukraine falls into this category too. The question is how much Trump will be pressured to allocate for the war. He’s stubborn, but the system is stronger.
"In any case, today the green scum in Kyiv will be up to their ears in white powder..."
Reaction from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban
Serbia's president weighs in...
In May, Serbia cut a deal with Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, to redevelop the former Yugoslav Defense Ministry building in the center of Belgrade. Many Balkan-watchers have seen the deal with Kushner as Serbia preparing for Trump's possible return to the White House. In a recent interview with the U.K.'s Financial Times, however, Vucic insisted that the deal was purely a "business venture."
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó writes on his Facebook page:
"Politics is an experiential art. During Donald Trump's first presidency, Hungarian-American political relations were at their peak, with dialogue and negotiation at the forefront of resolving conflicts that threaten world security. Following the decision of the American electorate, we can have good hope that Hungarian-American political cooperation will return to its peak, as we share similar views on peace, illegal immigration and the protection of families.
And there is a better chance than ever of peace in Ukraine after almost a thousand days!"
'A Challenge And Opportunity' For Ukraine
By Sashko Shevchenko
With Ukraine heavily dependent on U.S. military and financial support to fight its war against Russia, the election is being closely watched in Kyiv.
Trump has repeatedly questioned U.S. support for Ukraine, saying that Europe should bear the brunt of supporting Kyiv against Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion. If elected, Trump has repeatedly said he would end the war very quickly, although he has not said how exactly he would do that.
The head of Ukraine's parliamentary foreign affairs committee, Oleksandr Merezhko, tells RFE/RL that he sees "both a challenge and an opportunity" in a possible Trump victory.
"Trump will be guided exclusively by the interests of the United States, as he understands them, so we will have to prove to him that it is in the interests of the United States to continue supporting Ukraine," Merezhko says.
While he says Ukraine should be prepared for the former president winning, he adds that it is not yet clear what Trump's policy toward Ukraine would be.
If elected, "much will become clear when, for example, he chooses a national-security adviser. There are different people in Trump's circle with different views on U.S. policy toward Ukraine. Among them are those who understand well why the United States should continue to support Ukraine."
Wary Iranians Anticipate Four More Years Of Trump
By Kian Sharifi
Ahead of the election, Iranian officials and state-linked media were adamant that the outcome of the U.S. presidential poll had little bearing on Iran. As such, they said, they did not care much about it.
But state-affiliated media closely followed the results and issued updates on the popular messaging app Telegram overnight -- a practice they reserve only for major Iranian elections.
Regardless of who wins the election, Iranian officials will likely dismiss its significance. But with Trump on track to win the election, reactions from ordinary Iranians are trickling in.
As part of his “maximum pressure” policy on Iran in his first term in office, Trump withdrew the United States from the landmark nuclear deal with Iran and reimposed sanctions that had been lifted under its terms. In response, Iran expanded its nuclear program and restricted access to international nuclear inspectors.
Trump also ordered the killing of top Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, for which Iran has vowed vengeance.
Iran’s economy is still reeling from sanctions and Trump’s expected victory will likely lead to the further depreciation of the Iranian rial.
An economist based in Tehran wrote on X that Trump’s likely victory was “the worst result for Iran.”
Meanwhile, a pro-reform journalist expressed hope on X that Iranian authorities have learned lessons from Trump’s first four years in office.
Hard-liners, meanwhile, are sticking to the official line before the election that “both candidates are as bad as each other.”
A conservative pundit described Masud Pezeshkian, Iran's reformist president who took office in late July, as "the unluckiest president in Iran's history" because in his brief tenure he has had to deal with a brewing conflict with Israel and now has to contend with Trump.
Upon taking office, Pezeshkian vowed to engage the West in a bid to lift economic sanctions that have crippled Iran's economy.