World Reacts To Trump Presidential Victory

The surprise election of Donald Trump as U.S. president has led to much speculation about how he'll work with other world leaders (file photo)

Reaction is coming in from around the globe to news that Donald Trump has been elected president of the United States, with the European Union reacting with caution and the Kremlin welcoming the outcome.

The Republican candidate defeated his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton to become the 45th president of the United States in an outcome few pundits or polls had predicted.

The result is raising questions about how Trump, a businessman who has never held public office or served in the military, will run the country and what Washington's role in the world will be.

In Brussels, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said the United States and European Union will continue to work together.

"EU-U.S. ties are deeper than any change in politics. We'll continue to work together, rediscovering the strength of Europe," Mogherini wrote in a tweet.

EU officials and diplomats have said European governments may need to strengthen their own cooperation if a Trump administration pulls back from international commitments.

In London, British Prime Minister Theresa May said the "enduring and special relationship" between Britain and the United States would remain intact.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel offered Trump "close cooperation" on the basis of shared transatlantic values.

"Germany and America are bound together by values -- democracy, freedom, respecting the rule of law, people's dignity regardless of their origin, the color of their skin, religion, gender, sexual orientation or political views," Merkel said to reporters in Berlin.

Earlier, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Trump’s victory would make the U.S.-German relationship less predictable. He also called for a special meeting of EU foreign ministers.

German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen said the result was a "huge shock," and asked whether the Pax Americana -- the peace among great powers that has been guided by the United States since World War II -- was in jeopardy.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said, "U.S. leadership is as important as ever... A strong NATO is good for the United States, and good for Europe."

WATCH: Stoltenberg​ Says NATO Important To Europe And U.S.

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NATO Chief Says Alliance Important To Europe And United States

French Foreign Minister Ayrault said France remains an ally of the United States, adding that Paris will have to see what Trump's new policies are.

In Germany, Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen said the result was a "huge shock," and asked whether the Pax Americana -- the peace among great powers that has been guided by the United States since World War II -- was in jeopardy.

Putin Telegram

In Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Trump on his victory in a telegram early on November 9, the Kremlin said.

Putin, for whom Trump expressed admiration during the election campaign, later said Moscow was ready to do its part to repair ties with Washington.

"It is not an easy path but we are ready to ready to do our part and do everything to return Russian and American relations to a stable path of development," Putin said.

Relations between Washington and Moscow have soured over Russian actions in Ukraine -- including the seizure of the Crimean Peninsula -- and military intervention in Syria.

WATCH: Putin Says Ready To 'Restore' Ties With U.S.

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Putin Says Ready To 'Restore' Ties With U.S.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said he hoped the United States would continue to support Ukraine in its standoff with Russia.

"The President looks forward to a continuation of U.S support in two important areas: Ukraine's fight against Russian aggression ... and also assistance in the realization of major reforms," Poroshenko was quoted as saying in a statement.

News of Trump's election victory was welcomed elsewhere in Europe, mainly among right-wing and far-right leaders.

In Budapest, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban congratulated Trump, posting "What a great news. Democracy is still alive" on his Facebook page.

Orban said in July that Trump's plans on migration and foreign policy were "vital" for Hungary, whereas those of Clinton were "deadly."

Orban has in the past upset fellow members of the European Union over policy, most recently with his tough stance on Europe's migrant crisis, objecting to EU resettlement plans and having a fence built along Hungary's southern border.

In France, Marine Le Pen, the leader of the far-right National Front party, congratulated Trump on her Twitter account.

French President Francois Hollande also congratulated the businessman on his election as the next U.S. president. But in a statement in Paris, Hollande said he would approach the relationship with Trump with "vigilance and candor" because of positions Trump took during the campaign. He did not give specific examples.

WATCH: Hollande Says He Will Approach Trump With Vigilance

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Hollande Says He Will Approach Trump With Vigilance


'Aloof, Sleazy Establishment Punished'

There were also words of congratulation for Trump from Austrian far-right leader Heinz-Christian Strache.

"The political left as well as the aloof and sleazy establishment are being punished by voters and voted out of various decision-making positions," the head of the populist Freedom Party (FPO) wrote on Facebook.

The FPO hopes for its own candidate Norbert Hofer to become the EU's first far-right head of state on December 4.

Elsewhere, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said Trump should stay committed to the international nuclear deal with Iran.

"The United States should fulfil its commitments in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action [the nuclear deal] as a multilateral international agreement," Zarif was quoted as saying by the Tasnim news agency.

In Turkey, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said Trump's victory was an opportunity to further bilateral relations.

In a speech in the capital Ankara on November 9, Yildirim said a "new page" would be opened in U.S.-Turkey relations if Washington extradited Fethullah Gulen, the U.S.-based cleric Turkey blames for orchestrating a failed coup there on July 15.

The Iraqi government said relations with the United States have a "solid base" and this is not expected to change after Trump's victory.

That message was echoed by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, who said in a statement that Washington remains one of Afghanistan's "important strategic and main partners" in the country's development and the fight against terrorism.

With reporting by AP and Reuters