Earlier this week on Wednesday, the United States midterm election results yielded historic wins for the Democratic Party, with Democrats gaining an advantage in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. This sweeping rebuke of President Donald Trump and the Republican Party is expected to have a sizable impact on U.S. foreign policy. While the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine was hardly addressed in midterm campaigning, in the wake of the Democratic victories, Kyiv remains “cautiously optimistic.”
In recent weeks, Trump has eased sanctions on Russia and agreed to import Russian diesel, generating concerns that the White House leans favorably towards Russia amid recent tensions between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. While Zelenskiy has expressed hope that the Democratic Congress will generate more support for Ukraine, Kyiv remains aware that the White House still retains significant influence over foreign policy, and therefore it remains possible that “[Trump] will continue to push ahead with his policy towards Russia and hostility towards Ukraine.”
While the Russo-Ukrainian war has been a topical issue in U.S. foreign policy since Russia’s initial invasion in February 2022, it is not at the forefront of Washington’s foreign policy concerns. Between the ongoing war in Iran and presidential elections on the horizon, it is probable that the focus of this Democratic Congress will be on putting an end to Trump’s war in Iran and positioning a potential candidate for an election campaign in 2027 and 2028. However, as the Russian invasion of Ukraine approaches its fifth year, reaffirming U.S. support for Ukraine would not only be in the interest of Kyiv, but of Washington, as well.