The shots heard around the world have prompted leaders from across the globe, both allies and rivals alike, to condemn the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump during his campaign rally in Pennsylvania.

In Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed his horror at the incident in a post on X, stating he was “sickened by the shooting.” He emphasized that “political violence is never acceptable.”

European leaders were equally quick to offer their support to Trump, who was shot in the ear. In recent months, several European leaders and politicians had faced attacks in the lead-up to elections.

Secret Service agents surround Trump as he raises his fist in defiance after being shot in the ear during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday.

Secret Service agents surround Trump as he raises his fist in defiance after being shot in the ear during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday. Evan Vucci / AP

The United Kingdom’s new Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, expressed his shock and dismay, stating he was “appalled by the shocking scenes.” He underscored that “political violence in any form has no place in our societies,” and extended his thoughts to all victims of the attack.

French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz both conveyed their wishes for Trump’s speedy recovery in posts on X. Macron noted that France shared “the shock and indignation of the American people,” while Scholz remarked: “Such acts of violence threaten democracy.” Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also offered her “best wishes” to the presumptive Republican nominee.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, reflecting on his country’s own struggles with violence, posted on X that “such violence has no justification and no place anywhere in the world.” He offered his condolences to the spectator who was killed at the rally and to the two other individuals critically injured.

In Japan, where former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated during a political campaign event in July 2022, the current leader, Fumio Kishida, called for a stand against violence that “challenges democracy.”

In the Middle East, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his and his wife Sara’s shock over the attack, while Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan strongly condemned the incident. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi described it as a “treacherous incident” on Facebook.

Despite recent tensions between China and the United States over trade, U.S. support for Taiwan, and Beijing’s close ties to Russia amid the war in Ukraine, a spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry relayed President Xi Jinping’s sympathies for Trump.

A woman buys a copy of the British Mail on Sunday newspaper reporting on Donald Trump being shot at a rally.

The assassination attempt on Donald Trump was on the front page of The Mail, a British tabloid. Kirsty Wigglesworth / AP

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, referring to Trump as his friend, expressed deep concern over the attack. He reiterated that “violence has no place in politics and democracies.”

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov provided a more nuanced response, stating that Russia “has always condemned and strongly condemns any manifestations of violence during political struggles.” Peskov added, “We don’t at all think and don’t believe that the attempt to eliminate presidential candidate Trump was organized by the current government. But the atmosphere that it created during the political struggle, the atmosphere around candidate Trump, is precisely what provoked what America is faced with today.”

In Cuba, Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez, the first secretary of the Communist Party, reaffirmed the country’s historical position against all forms of violence without directly mentioning Trump.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva deemed the shooting “unacceptable,” and Mexican President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum labeled it “condemnable.”

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the incident as “concerning and confronting,” while Christopher Luxon, his counterpart in New Zealand, stated that “no country should encounter such political violence.”

The global condemnation of the attack on Trump underscores the widespread recognition that political violence threatens democratic processes and the stability of societies. Leaders across continents and political spectrums have united in their denunciation of such acts, reinforcing a collective commitment to uphold democratic values and the rule of law.