US President Joe Biden on Sunday announced that he would not seek re-election for a second term.
His announcement took the world by storm as he had previously refused calls to step down despite concerns from many quotas over his age.
Biden in his statement said the decision was in the best interest of the Democratic Party and that of the country.
"And while it has been my intention to seek re-election, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling the duties as President for the remainder of my term," he said.
Biden said he would give a comprehensive statement about his decision to drop out of the election later in the week.
He, however, expressed his gratitude to all those who supported his re-election bid.
"I want to thank Vice President Kamala Harris for being an extraordinary partner in all this work and let me express my heartfelt appreciation to the American people for the faith and trust you have placed in me," Biden said.
The decision follows intense pressure from fellow Democrats, especially after a challenging debate against Republican Donald Trump at the end of June.
The 81-year-old had resisted calls to step aside even as concerns over his mental fitness and capacity to beat Trump mounted.
Following his announcement, several world leaders, some currently in office and others retired, had this to say about Biden:
