GERMANY:US PRESIDENT-elect Barack Obama was swamped with congratulations and invitations from leaders in all European capitals yesterday, with the exception of Moscow.
After months of discretion, many leaders made no attempt yesterday to hide their hope that the Democratic candidate's victory would end the tense transatlantic relations of the Bush era.
Four months after his speech in Berlin, Chancellor Merkel invited Mr Obama back to the German capital yesterday with a multilateral message of congratulations.
"I'm convinced that, in close and trust-filled co-operation between the US and Europe, we can tackle decisively the new dangers and risks we face and put to good use the many chances our global world presents," said Dr Merkel.
German transatlantic experts were optimistic that the new president will be able to neutralise popular anti-American feeling in Germany that found focus during the Bush era.
"There's a completely different wave of sympathy for the US now and hopefully the anti-Americanism fuelled by Bush can be put in the corner," said international analyst Christoph Bertram.
"But it already makes a huge difference, whether one is seen as a trouble-maker in the international politics or as a renewer."
In neighbouring Poland, political leaders expressed optimism, too, that Mr Obama would bring a "new dynamic" to bilateral relations and NATO policy in the region.
"I am convinced that, as president, Mr Obama will pursue justice and political security, as well as economic and energy stability in the whole world," said president Lech Kaczynski, a close ally of the outgoing president.
Polish attitudes to the US have been strained by repeated omission from the list of visa-waiver countries, seen as their due after sending soldiers to Iraq.
The two countries face long negotiations to flesh out the details of a US missile defence shield in the country. That system has attracted Russian alarm and was the subject of a 90-minute briefing yesterday in Moscow by Russian president Dmitry Medvedev.
Despite not mentioning Mr Obama's name once, Mr Medvedev threw down the gauntlet to the president-elect with the announcement that he was deploying short-range missiles in the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad to "neutralise" the US shield.
"This is a clear warning to Obama that tough negotiations lie ahead," said Alexander Rahr, a Russia expert at the German Council on Foreign Relations.
Despite yesterday's tough talk, the Russian leader had already expressed a preference before the election for a president "with a modern outlook, rather than those whose eyes are turned back to the past".
A Kremlin spokesman said the Russian president had congratulated Mr Obama by telegram.
Some international observers urged EU leaders not to view change in transatlantic relations as a job solely for the new White House administration.
"Obama may be treated as the new messiah but his election will be a slap in the face for Europeans who prefer blaming Bush than taking responsibility for global problems," said Mark Leonard, director of the European Council on Foreign Relations.
"Obama's support for multilateral co-operation, military prudence, action against climate change means that he needs to come back from Europe with material help, not just photo opportunities".