After a terrorist attack Saturday night in London left seven people dead and at least 48 wounded, leaders from around the world expressed their condolences and solidarity in the global fight against terrorism.Three men drove a van through a crowd on London Bridge shortly after 10 p.m. local time and stabbed revelers at nearby Borough Market. The attack came as the U.K. was still reeling from a bombing at an Ariana Grande concert on May 22 that left 22 people dead, many of whom were children.German Chancellor Angela Merkel, in a statement seen by the Associated Press early Sunday, wrote, “We are united beyond all borders in horror and sorrow, but also in determination.” Merkel restated Germany’s commitment to working with other nations in the fight against “every form of terrorism.”
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“In the face of this new tragedy,” wrote French President Emmanuel Macron on Twitter, “France more than ever stands alongside the United Kingdom. My thoughts go to the victims and their loved ones.” Macron also spoke to British PM Theresa May at midday Sunday to discuss the ongoing situation. A statement from the Elysée Palace stressed the importance of European cooperation to combat the threat of terrorism.
Vladimir Putin, according to the Kremlin’s website, condemned the attack “as shocking in its cruelty and cynicism.”
Prime Minister Mark Rutte of the Netherlands wrote “London mourns after another cowardly attack. And we mourn with it. Our thoughts and our hearts are with the victims and survivors.”Other leading EU figures were also quick to reach out. President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker said:
While Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council, tweeted: