After Serbia, Brazil elections, donald trump loses allies abroad; Israel coalition talks remain uncertain

Brazil vote frustrates Trump camp

Luiz Inacio “Lula” da Silva won in Brazil, thwarting hopes among Trump supporters that Flavio Bolsonaro would take power. Flavio is the son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, whom Lula defeated in 2022.

Flavio is being investigated over alleged corruption and money laundering. After his election defeat, he went to Florida, and the US State Department granted entry visas to him and his family despite the pending case.

Flavio has not conceded and has alleged voting irregularities. Trump called the result “another rigged election,” according to his remarks on Monday.

Vucic leaves Serbian presidency

Serbia’s Student List won, and Aleksandar Vucic is leaving the presidency. He had led the country as president since 2017, then resigned shortly before the elections to run for prime minister, a post he held from 2014 to 2017.

Vucic has described himself as like-minded with Trump. Trump’s eldest son, Donald Jr., visited him in Belgrade shortly before the November 2024 US presidential election and again a few months later.

A Trump-connected conservative conference had announced a Belgrade meeting in November, with Vucic expected as a keynote speaker. It is not clear whether he will still appear.

Shared views on Russia

Trump has also appeared increasingly receptive to Moscow. His envoy Steve Witkoff called Vladimir Putin a “humanitarian,” and Trump said in an interview that he got along better with Putin than with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Vucic’s departure removes one of Trump’s few European allies with a similar outlook, the article says.

Netanyahu faces coalition challenge

In Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc was ahead with more than 96% of votes counted. However, the bloc had lost its majority, and coalition negotiations were expected to be difficult.

Trump and Netanyahu have been close allies. In 2018, during Trump’s first term, the United States moved its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a move described as controversial because Israelis and Palestinians both claim Jerusalem as their capital.