EU, NATO countries begin to tentatively consider change at the White House

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas on Friday urged both sides in the U.S. election to show restraint until the results were available, adding it was irresponsible to aggravate tensions.

"America is more than a one-man show. Anyone who continues to pour oil on the fire in a situation like this is acting irresponsibly," Maas told Germany's Funke media in unusually blunt language.

"Now is the time to keep a cool head until an independently determined result is available," he added in some of his first comments on the situation.

Biden took small leads over President Donald Trump in Pennsylvania and Georgia early on Friday, edging closer to being projected as the winner of the presidency.

"In order for the result — which has not yet been determined — to be accepted, everyone must first show restraint," Maas told Funke media in an interview, extracts of which he tweeted. "That includes us."

"Decent losers are more important for the functioning of a democracy than radiant winners," he said.

WATCH l Trust in U.S. overseas won't be rebuilt quickly, analyst says:

U.S. reputation tarnished on world stage by undecided election, analysts say

4 years ago

Duration 2:00

Analysts say the divisive and still undecided U.S. election has further tarnished the country’s image on the world stage.

Maas said he expected that once the election result is settled, "the U.S.A. will probably not return to the international stage with full energy for the time being." But he said: "The world needs the U.S.A. as a force for order, not as a factor of chaos."

France hopes for less use of trade as leverage

France expects smoother trade relations with the United States should Biden win, with greater alignment on sustainable development and more multilateral co-operation, trade minister Franck Riester said.

Trump has imposed tariffs on French wines in a row over Airbus subsidies, threatened levies on Champagne and luxury handbags in a digital tax dispute, and pursued an isolationist "America First" stance.

Asked if France anticipated that a Biden presidency would be more reconciling, Riester told Reuters: "We would surely see an improvement in relations. We would be more aligned on matters of sustainable development and perhaps also on multilateral work."

LISTEN | U.S. out of climate accord, but could Biden re-engage?

What Canadians think about the U.S. presidential election

4 years ago

Duration 1:58

There was mixed reaction from Canadians to the lack of a U.S. election result Tuesday night, with some voicing concern for the deep political divide south of the border.

Biden's camp has said during the campaign that he would end the "artificial trade war" that Trump had waged against Europe, while addressing imbalances in agricultural trade with the bloc.

France has imposed a new three per cent tax on revenues of big tech companies, but agreed to suspend payments this year while international talks are held over how to tax giants such as Google and Facebook. In return, Trump agreed to hold off on a tariff war until the end of 2020.

Complex U.S.-Turkey relations

Two top Turkish officials said on Friday that despite a friendship with Trump that has helped the two countries through turbulent times, the country is prepared for either candidate.

"Regardless of which candidate takes office in the U.S., we will pursue a sincere approach to improve our relations," Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said.

The decades-old partnership between the NATO allies has gone through unprecedented tumult in the past five years over disagreements on Syria policy, Ankara's closer ties with Moscow, its ambitions in the eastern Mediterranean, U.S. charges against a state-owned Halkbank and an erosion of rights in Turkey.

Despite that, Trump's relationship with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been complex. Media reports and former Trump adviser John Bolton have suggested the men share a transactional sense of foreign diplomacy, with Erdogan helping persuade the U.S. president to pull away from troop engagement in Syria, and Trump promising to get personally involved in the Halkbank probe.

Cavusoglu said Turkey had worked with Democrat and Republican administrations alike and overcome difficulties with both.

WATCH l The Canadian view on the close election:

Moscow says U.S. election exposes flaws

4 years ago

Duration 3:10

The Kremlin says outdated rules in the United States have led to 'shortcomings' in the voting process. Russian state television has been repeating Donald Trump's claims, without evidence, that the election is fraudulent and 'rigged.'

Washington has threatened sanctions on Turkey for purchasing Russian missile defence systems but Trump's administration has avoided imposing sanctions.

"Of course, individuals have an impact, positive and negative," Cavusoglu said. "The sincere friendship between our president and Mr. Trump continued through the most difficult times."

Analysts say Turkey's bilateral ties could suffer if Biden becomes U.S. president. 

However Erdogan's top aide, Vice-President Fuat Oktay, said Ankara was not afraid of sanctions.

"No country, including America, has the chance to implement a foreign policy, program or policy in the region in spite of Turkey or by excluding Turkey," Oktay told broadcaster A Haber.

"Turkey is no longer a country which shrinks from, or is scared of, sanctions," he said. "Sanctions would increase further our resolve and our determination."

WATCH l Russian media focus on U.S. conflict, Kremlin more muted:

With respect to Russia, Vladimir Putin hasn't commented this week on the election but his recent statements suggest he is hedging his bets, praising and criticizing both Trump and Biden.

Washington sanctioned Moscow after U.S. intelligence agencies concluded that Russia tried to interfere in the 2016 U.S. presidential election to tilt the contest in Trump's favour, an allegation Moscow has denied and Trump has continually downplayed, arguing that results weren't affected.

Putin confirmed at the Helsinki summit with Trump in 2018 that the Republican was his preferred candidate over Hillary Clinton four years ago.