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UNIAN, photo t.me/V_Zelenskiy_official, ReutersAs the U.S. president Donald Trump grew closer to Moscow, he increasingly attacked Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy. But after the Democrats secured a decisive victory in the midterm elections, which was a clear rebuke to Trump, a joke spread online in Ukraine: it turns out that the American people themselves wanted a new president.
This witty remark underscores how sharply political reversals in America have shocked Ukrainians. The United States used to be Ukraine's most important ally in the war. Then Trump returned to office, writes The New York Times.
"Overall optimism in Kyiv and in Ukraine has risen as a result of these elections. We believe Congress will be a brake on Trump's attempts to strike deals with Putin," said Oleksandr Merezhko, head of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Ukrainian parliament.
But he also warned that Ukrainians, who, against a grim backdrop of open Trump support for the Kremlin dictator Vladimir Putin, are looking for any good news, should not fall into euphoria. "It is important for us not to forget about the Republicans, not to offend their feelings, and to maintain good relations with both parties," he emphasized.
What reality should Ukraine accept
Journalists note that Trump still has two years of presidency ahead, and the country's survival remains closely tied to the changing political currents in Washington.
Due to exhausted air defense and thinning ranks of the army, Ukraine, as expected, will face the hardest winter since the war began in the coming months — Russia has targeted civilian energy infrastructure. How exactly the midterms will affect the war and peace talks largely depends on what course Trump will take during the remaining time in power.
Trump said he recently met in Washington with Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev after a ceremony at the White House attended by Russian and Ukrainian officials. At the ceremony, first lady Melania Trump was honored for her recent days of helping to halt fire and humanitarian mission in the city of Olenivka (Oleshky) under Russian occupation. After the meeting with Dmitriev, Trump predicted a quick settlement to end the war in Ukraine.
"This will be a big deal, and it will not only concern Ukraine," Trump said. "I can even say that it may touch all of Europe. It will be a big and wonderful deal, and everyone will be thrilled."
Media report that officially Moscow largely maintains a neutral face regarding the election results — on the eve of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, which Trump’s envoys Steve Bannon and Jared Kushner are expected to conduct next week in Abu Dhabi.
However, some Russian analysts expressed hope that the election result could open a window of opportunity for a peace deal. In their view, Trump and his envoys will have additional incentive to speed up reaching an agreement in the next two months before Congress controlled by Democrats begins work and blocks a deal favorable to Russia.
Perhaps Trump and Putin will meet twice during this period — first on the margins of the APEC summit in Shenzhen, China, and then again next month at the G20 summit in Miami. But others in Russia believe that any hopes for the coming months are wishful thinking.
They complain about political changes that, in their words, will inevitably weaken Trump's position in negotiations with Moscow and reduce his ability to obtain what the Kremlin wants regarding Ukraine.
Zelenskiy tried to find balance, commenting on the elections
In an interview with Germany's public broadcaster ZDF, he expressed gratitude to Republicans who supported Ukraine, but acknowledged that the situation has clearly changed. "The Democrats speak very clearly about supporting Ukraine and providing assistance. They speak about renewing ties between the United States and Europe," Zelenskiy stressed.
and expressed hope that "a balance of power will form and we will receive more support." Ukrainian opposition politician Vitaliy Hryshchenko? Volodymyr Ariev noted that the open "embrace" of the Democrats in Congress would be a mistake, since Trump still has broad powers in foreign policy.
"We must not celebrate the Democrats' victory, but democracy in the United States," he said.
Approach the situation with utmost caution
Ukrainians hope that congressional oversight will make large-scale business deals with Russia, which lie at the heart of negotiations under Trump, far less likely. At least, officials in Kyiv hope that a Democratic-led Congress will take control of Trump's efforts to achieve a settlement through negotiation — many in Ukraine fear that these efforts view the war as an opportunity for Moscow to make commercial concessions.
Lawmakers in Kyiv also expect that Congress will look closely at figures like billionaire and SpaceX founder Elon Musk — after last month during Ukrainian military operations satellite communications were slowed by Starshield.
American lawmakers from both parties have already demonstrated how they can use their powers in Congress and at the state level to derail concessions to Moscow by Trump.
Following the Starlink incident, Congressmember Brian Fitzpatrick, a Republican from Pennsylvania, led the campaign to hold SpaceX and the Department of Defense accountable. He promised to secure punishment for any American officials involved and to halt federal funding for any agency that dares to take such a step.
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill, a Democrat, warned ports in the state that importing Russian diesel fuel as part of a deal between Trump and Putin would violate the law. Sherrill stressed that Trump does not have unlimited authority to lift sanctions on Russia enacted by Congress.
Despite cautious optimism in Kyiv, Ukrainian officials note that significant changes in Congress only confirm the need to maintain broad bipartisan support they have long built.
The midterms delivered notable losses to the pro-Ukraine coalition, including key ally Fitzpatrick. Also Congress loses other important figures — for example, veteran Republican senators Mitch McConnell and Tom Tillis. At the same time, many new members of Congress have yet to clearly define their positions on Ukraine aid.
Ukrainians fear that Russia may view the Trump administration, weakened by the midterms, as too ineffective to pursue peace negotiations; Ukraine has no alternative yet: Kyiv calls for greater European involvement in talks, but Russia has made it clear that the United States remains in control.
Other news about past elections in the United States
Earlier UNIAN reported that Vance, after his crushing defeat in the elections, is trying to distance himself from Trump. Vance noted that many voters who previously supported Trump chose Democratic candidates.
According to him, factors such as the war, inflation, and a desire to change the nature of the country's relations with Israel influenced this.
Additionally, we also covered the content of Trump's message from Mark Rutte after the midterm elections. The secretary-general called the Alliance a platform where the United States can demonstrate its strength.
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