(KGTV)-- The world was watching closely as rioters stampeded the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday. Many world leaders denounced what happened, saying it was a threat to democracy.
When Ondrej Kovach got photos of American rioters texted to him from his friends, he shrugged it off.
"I said, 'Yeah, good joke. You got me,'" Kovach laughed. "Mr. Trump is kind of well known for his alternative truth and alternative media, so I thought he made up something."
Kovach thought it was a joke until the cybersecurity specialist in Slovakia turned on the news to confirm.
"The Czech Republic and Slovakia, their reps have said what is happening is unbelievable and is a threat to democracy," Kovach said.
Many world leaders immediately took to social media to chime in. French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the rioters.
"What happened today in Washington, DC is not America, definitely," Macron said in a video message on Twitter.
"I unreservedly condemn encouraging people to behave in the disgraceful way that they did in the Capitol," U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said.
Johnson and German Chancellor Angela Merkel blamed President Trump for the violence that erupted at the Capitol.
"Doubts about the outcome of the election were stoked, and that set the atmosphere that made the night's events possible," Merkel said.
Iran's President, Hassan Rouhani, went on state-run news calling Trump a "sick person." "Recent U.S. developments show how a populist can tarnish the image of his country," Rouhani said. "What happened in the U.S shows how fragile Western democracy is."
But Russian President Vladimir Putin steered clear from commenting at all. Instead, he only took to Twitter to wish the country a Merry Russian Orthodox Christmas.
Kovach is not surprised that his neighboring nation's leader is staying silent, given his relationship with the American President.
"Slovakia is close to Ukraine and just one step to Russia," Kovach said.
"He's [Putin is] a Tsar. So he's elected for years. He's not going to go away, so I don't think he's going to criticize Trump for what he's doing."
Kovach does worry, though, that what happened at the Capitol Wednesday may be the beginning of a long fight.
"I'm really thinking that it can actually launch a civil war, like an internal war," Kovach said.
