Shortly after news of several lethal attacks that struck Paris on the evening of Nov. 13 was confirmed, world leaders begun to express solidarity.
In a statement at the White House, US president Barack Obama called the incident an attack on all of humanity:
This is an attack not just on Paris, this is an attack not just on the people of France, but this is an attack on all of humanity and the values we share.
Obama promised to help ”bring these terrorists to justice,” though he did not explicitly name any terror organization.
Via Twitter, the UK prime minister David Cameron has also shared solidarity, offering France any help that it might need.
Italy’s prime minister Matteo Renzi took to Twitter to share solidarity:
Angela Merkel said she’s shocked by the attack:
Sweden’s vice-prime minister initially tweeted that the tragedy might slow down next month’s climate change talk in Paris, though he later deleted the tweet (here as a screenshot):
United Nations secretary-general Ban ki-moon has released a statement demanding the release of hostages kept in the performance venue Bataclan.
French president François Hollande, who was himself evacuated from the Stade de France this evening, has already addressed the French nation in a televised statement and declared a state of emergency. He also announced the closure of the country’s borders as a move to stop terrorists from escaping the country, and to protect the country from outside threats.
In a tweet published after his speech, Hollande added that France is strong and capable of defending itself, mobilizing and vanquishing terrorism.