World leaders respond Populists celebrate return

Western leaders raced to respond to the return of Donald Trump to the White House with a powerful mandate to put his policy of "America first" into action once again.

- Patrick Wintour, Tom Phillips

But many of the public congratulations could do little to disguise the private foreboding of what the next four years will mean for European security, populism and the world economy.

Viktor Orbán, the Hungarian prime minister and the European leader closest to Trump, was among the first to hail his ally's victory, posting on social media: "The biggest comeback in US political history! Congratulations to Donald Trump on his enormous win. A much-needed victory for the world!"

Orbán, isolated inside the EU, is due this week to host more than 45 leaders of the European political community in Budapest, which will provide the first opportunity for them to assess the implications for security, including the Russia-Ukraine war.