As news of pro-Trump supporters storming the US Capitol on Wednesday, 6 January, spread, a number of world leaders issued statements condemning the violence.
UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, labelled the scenes emanating from the US capital 'disgraceful', while the Chancellor of Austria, Sebastian Kurz, highlighted the need for an 'orderly transfer of power'.
According to AFP, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she was "furious and saddened" by the storming of the US Capitol and lashed out at US President Donald Trump over it.
"I deeply regret that President Trump has not conceded his defeat, since November and again yesterday," she said.
Meanwhile, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern reportedly said that democracy should not be undone by a mob.
“What is happening is wrong. Democracy – the right of people to exercise a vote, have their voice heard and then have that decision upheld peacefully – should never be undone by a mob.”New Zealand Prime Minister Jacina Ardern
AFP reported that Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said the chaos unleashed on the US Capitol showed the fragility of Western democracy.
"What we saw in the United States yesterday evening and today shows above all how fragile and vulnerable Western democracy is," he said in a statement.
Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, expressed that he and the people of Canada were "deeply saddened" by the "attack on democracy in the United States."
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also urged that the results of the democratic election be respected.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez expressed faith in President-elect Joe Biden's ability to unite the American people.
Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg, on the other hand, urged President Trump to put a stop to the mounting violence in Washington, DC.
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Micheál Martin, Prime Minister of Ireland, expressed solidarity with the people of America.
The Organization of American States (OAS), also put out a statement in which they condemned and repudiated what they termed an attack against institutions in the US.
“Democracy has as its fundamental pillar the independence of the powers of the State, which must act completely free of pressure. The exercise of force and vandalism against the institutions constitutes a serious attack against democratic functioning.”OAS statement
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