Trump’s inauguration draws mixed reactions from world leaders

The inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United States has drawn mixed reactions from world leaders, with some optimistic about better ties with Washington, while many others are extremely concerned.

The leaders of Mexico, Canada, Britain, Japan, India, as well as the Pope offered well wishes and congratulations to America's new commander in chief, who was sworn in on Friday.

In a series of tweets, Mexico’s President Enrique Peña Nieto congratulated Trump and said “we will work to strengthen our relationship with shared responsibility.”

“Sovereignty, the national interest and the protection of Mexican citizens will guide our relations with the new US administration,” Nieto said.

However, former Mexican President Vicente Fox took to Twitter to criticize Trump. “America was already successful, then you happened!" he tweeted.

Anti-Trump sentiments are particularly high in Mexico and some other Latin American countries. During his presidential campaign, Trump said Mexico is sending its rapists and criminals to the US and vowed to deport millions of undocumented Central American immigrants from the US.

Mexican demonstrators built a wall outside the US embassy in Mexico City on Friday, in a symbolic move to protest Trump’s campaign pledge to build a wall along the US-Mexican border and crackdown on immigrants.

Argentineans burnt an American flag in front of the US Embassy in Buenos Aires. Panamanians chanted slogans against US interventions in the region and burnt an effigy of Trump.

Thousands of people in several other countries, including in Britain, Australia and New Zealand have also rallied to express their anger over Trump’s presidential inauguration.

Russian President Vladimir Putin made no comments about Trump’s inauguration. His spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said Putin was unlikely to watch the inauguration live, but view it later on the news.

“Donald Trump,” said Peskov, “is not our soulmate.” That was a frosty change from the surprisingly warm endorsement Putin gave Trump during the campaign.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov expressed hope that Trump will work with Putin on solving the Ukrainian crisis and other problems, although he warned against expectations of quick progress.

Trump has also caused concern in Eastern and Central European countries that he might abandon their security needs at a time they are especially worried about Russia. 

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