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Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
The success of the Democratic Party in the United States elections could increase pressure on the White House over its foreign policy course. The new Congress will try to limit Donald Trump’s willingness to strike a deal with Moscow at the expense of Ukrainian interests.
The Times writes about this.
Will the new Congress affect Trump’s relations with Putin?
The article notes that even if bills on aid to Ukraine are approved or sanctions against Russia are tightened, U.S. President Donald Trump will retain the right to veto. To override it, lawmakers will need two-thirds of the votes in both chambers, which will likely be difficult for Democratic lawmakers to achieve.
Oleksandr Merezhko, head of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Verkhovna Rada, noted that external policy levers will continue to lie with the U.S. president, but lawmakers’ vigilance will grow significantly.
I don’t think the situation will radically change because foreign policy will remain in the hands of the president. At the same time, the new Congress as a whole may be more critical and vigilant regarding Trump’s attempts to strike deals with Putin at Ukraine’s expense or his possible moves to lift sanctions against Russia.
— said Merezhko.
Gaining control of Congress opens the way for meticulous scrutiny of the White House’s decisions on Ukraine, up to attempts to impeach the president. Additionally, the publication suggests, lawmakers may initiate an investigation of Elon Musk over temporary restrictions on the use of Starlink services in Ukraine.
In Russia, war supporters argue that the results of the US midterm elections will have little impact on the negotiation process to end the war. However, Trump’s allies’ defeat signals Moscow that the period of easy agreements with the US president is over.
For Moscow, the main takeaway is that relying solely on personal relations with Trump is becoming increasingly risky. The American political system has once again demonstrated its ability to constrain the president’s power, which means that any long-term agreements must take into account not only the White House’s position but also the balance of power in Congress.
— emphasized Moscow-based political analyst Ilya Grashchenkov, who advises Russian politicians.
Pressure on Kyiv and the mood of the American public
The authors believe that as Ukrainian authorities increasingly reject Trump’s demands, including calls not to strike at Russian refineries, Putin plans to push Ukraine toward capitulation by intensifying attacks on civilian infrastructure.
At the same time, it is noted that Trump’s refusal to provide direct defensive support to Kyiv is an unpopular move among American voters. According to the Harvard study cited, more than 60% of respondents support arming Ukraine and imposing new sanctions on Russia.
By the way, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed hope that Democratic success in the US Congress elections could open the path to increased military and financial aid to Ukraine. He believes stronger support could force Putin to reconsider his plans for the war.
Document: PDF proof of the original version of the news item "Стримати поворот до Москви: у The Times оцінили вплив виборів у США на війну в Україні". It records the publication content at the moment of the first scan, the preservation date and the source: Channel 24.
