Reaction from world leaders to the decision from a 12-person jury in New York that the former US president Donald Trump was guilty of a crime came swiftly, though in somewhat muted terms.
Several leaders whose style has been described as autocratic in leaning came out in support of Trump, who has often expressed admiration for strongmen leaders and claimed if elected he would rule as a dictator for one day.
In Russia, whose president, Vladimir Putin, has long attracted Trump’s praise, the Kremlin said on Friday that the Trump verdict demonstrated the Biden administration’s efforts to eliminate political opponents.
“If we speak about Trump, the fact that there is simply the elimination, in effect, of political rivals by all possible means, legal and illegal, is obvious,” the Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, told reporters at a news briefing. “That is evident to everyone, to the whole world, with the naked eye.”
Another Trump ally, the Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orbán, who has twice hosted an overseas version of the Conservative Political Action Conference that attracts some of the biggest rightwing and far-right names, said:
“I’ve known President @realDonaldTrump to be a man of honour. As President, he always put America first, he commanded respect around the world and used this respect to build peace. Let the people make their verdict this November! Keep on fighting, Mr President!”
Matteo Salvini, Italy’s deputy prime minister who heads the League party and is known for his strident anti-immigrant views, expressed “solidarity and full support” for Trump, whom he called a “victim of judicial harassment and a process of political nature”.
Salvini added: “In Italy, we are sadly familiar with the weaponisation of the justice system by the left, given that for years attempts have been made to eliminate political opponents through legal means. I hope Trump wins; it would be a guarantee of greater balance and hope for world peace.”
America’s traditional allies took a more respectful attitude towards the US judicial process.
The British opposition leader and prime ministerial hopeful, Keir Starmer, said if the Labour party wins power in the UK’s general election on 4 July, his government would “work with whoever” Americans elect.
“Obviously we respect the decision of the court, the independent court – there’s a bit of process to go with sentencing and appeal,” Starmer told BBC Radio Scotland.
“But we are in an unprecedented situation. There’s no doubt about that.”
He added: “Ultimately, whether he’s elected president will be a matter for the American people and, obviously, if we’re privileged to come in to serve, we would work with whoever they choose as their president.”
Meanwhile, Japan’s chief cabinet secretary, Yoshimasa Hayashi, said:
“We would like to refrain from commenting on matters relating to judicial procedures in other countries.
“The Japanese government is not in a position to make comments with presumption about the impact on the [US] presidential election. In any event, we are closely monitoring related developments and will continue to gather information.”
• Reuters contributed reporting
