But many Europeans are concerned about a second Trump administration and his transactional approach to foreign relations.
One European diplomat said there were fears that the Security Council’s inability to manage the conflict would lead to an emboldened and potentially more radical Trump administration that would add to the dysfunction and encourage more moves towards the far right in Europe.
“I think it would be a relief, at least for the majority of Europeans, if Prime Minister Harris were to come to power,” he said.
Still, another senior European diplomat said that while Harris’ victory would give them continuity, they now have four years of working with Trump and feel more prepared than they were in 2016.
Climate Week took place in New York City concurrently with the UN high-level debate. Caribbean leaders spoke in the green and gold plenary chamber as well as in a room full of businessmen and politicians to warn that the world is failing to meet its climate promises and putting the islands at risk.
One minister from the region said climate was a key area where differences between the US candidates were causing them concern. “It is certainly the Democratic Party in the sense that there is a real commitment to the United States and the United States government to provide leadership,” the secretary said.
Many people still remember Trump withdrew from the Paris Climate Agreement, which Joe Biden later rejoined.
Bahamas Prime Minister Philip Davis said political change over the past 26 years had been a challenge to make progress. He said he had been calling for some kind of mechanism to ensure that changes in political leadership do not impede or reverse progress.
Election Day on November 5 may seem a long way off for diplomats who faced more challenges than solutions here last week.
But the time is fast approaching when votes will be counted in the United States and a new face will appear in the White House.
Another European minister ran to an event and said to me: “My hope is that things don’t get too weird.”
Additional reporting by Cai Pigliucci.
