Some governments that, for reasons economic, political or strategic, have a particularly high stake in the outcome of the U.S. presidential election.

ISRAEL:

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has woven a close relationship with President Bush, receiving sweeping support from the U.S. administration for most of his policies, and a silent nod during military operations in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Although he has been careful not to express a preference, the tough-minded Israeli leader would likely not be able to count on the same from John Kerry.

EUROPEAN UNION:

For France and Germany - dubbed "Old Europe" by U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld - a Kerry White House would mean a chance of mending ties. However, these nations that refused to help Bush in Iraq may have a problem saying no again if Kerry makes good on his campaign pledge to seek new allies in the war. Britain, Italy and Poland - U.S. allies in Iraq - have warm ties with Washington, but a Kerry win means a president who is viewed as more internationally acceptable, and that could ease public discontent with their involvement in the war.

RUSSIA:

Russian President Vladimir Putin did not support the war in Iraq, but that doesn't mean he has no reason to hope for a Bush victory. In fact, Putin hinted at a preference this week, saying terrorists shouldn't be allowed to block Bush's re-election. Washington sees Putin's clampdown on Chechen separatists as part of the war on terror, leading it to look the other way as the Russian leader tightens his grip on power.

JAPAN:

U.S. officials praise Japan for cooperating in the war in Iraq, and the trade friction between the world's two largest economies has largely disappeared. A Kerry victory could portend a return to the relative protectionism of previous Democratic administrations. That could help to explain the thinly veiled support that Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has shown for Bush.

CUBA:

The U.S. trade embargo, in place since the early 1960s, has strengthened under Bush. Kerry says he supports the embargo but would order a full review of America's Cuba policy, including the ban on most U.S. travel to the island. That has led many Cubans to believe relations could improve under Kerry.

INDIA:

While ordinary Indians overwhelmingly support Kerry, much of the business and government elite favors Bush. The reason? Kerry has proposed tax incentives to businesses that keep factories and jobs in the United States rather than outsource them to India and elsewhere.

PAKISTAN:

The Bush administration sees Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf - who seized power in a coup d'etat in 1999 - as a crucial ally in the war on terror. That has translated into billions of dollars in aid for the poor South Asian nation, as well as a tolerance for human rights abuses.