Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that the Democratic Party's victory in the US midterm elections opens an opportunity for Kyiv to receive significantly more American support, both financial and military. According to him, strengthening Washington's position on aid to Ukraine could become an additional factor of pressure on Moscow and influence Vladimir Putin's stance. The statement comes against the backdrop of election results on November 3, 2026, which show Democrats taking control of both chambers of the US Congress from Republicans.
Shifting balance in Congress and its consequences for Kyiv
The midterm elections of November 3, 2026, brought the Democratic Party control over both the House of Representatives and the Senate. According to data cited by the Ukrainian side, Democrats will control both chambers of Congress starting in 2027. This means that the US legislative branch gains the ability to promote its own initiatives to support Kyiv, including those previously blocked by the Republican majority. Zelenskyy assesses that this "balance of power" in the American political establishment creates the prerequisites for expanding aid to Ukraine.
Financial and military aid: what might change
At the heart of the Ukrainian president's expectations lies a specific mechanism: if Congress under Democratic control begins to lobby for large-scale financial and military assistance, it will be "something positive that will influence Putin," as Zelenskyy emphasized. Reports have already appeared in the media that Democrats intend to restore direct US military aid to Ukraine, which was previously canceled by President Donald Trump. Furthermore, estimates suggest that Democrats will likely have enough of a two-thirds majority in both chambers to override a presidential veto, making it possible to implement even those aid packages that the Trump administration previously blocked.
Strategic calculation: pressure on Moscow through Washington
Zelenskyy directly linked the strengthening of American support to changing calculations in the Kremlin. "If Congress now speaks of powerful financial support or military aid, as Europe is doing and demonstrating today, then this will be something positive that will influence Putin," the Ukrainian leader stated. Thus, Kyiv views the new Congress not merely as a source of additional resources, but as an instrument of geopolitical pressure on Russia. The logic is simple: the larger and more sustainable the flow of Western aid, the higher the price for Moscow to continue military operations.
European context and the role of Germany
Parallel to expectations from Washington, Zelenskyy emphasizes the need to strengthen the European component of support. At the Berlin Security Conference, he stated that the role of the US in the world might diminish, meaning Europe must take more responsibility for its own security, and this is impossible without Germany. "Too much depends on what Germany believes in and who it believes in," noted the President of Ukraine. In this context, Zelenskyy's words about Democrats and their intention to "restore ties between the United States and Europe" take on additional meaning: Kyiv is interested in ensuring that American and European support policies for Ukraine are synchronized rather than competing with one another.
What's next: negotiation platform and immediate steps
Earlier, answering journalists' questions, Zelenskyy confirmed that an American negotiation platform for settling the conflict would operate, and Kyiv expects that the US will "exert more pressure on Putin specifically, rather than on us." The President of Ukraine also declared his readiness to meet with the American side in any format and at any location — in Ukraine, in Europe, or in the US. Given that Democrats will control Congress starting in 2027 while the Trump administration maintains presidential powers, the coming months will be a period where the legislative and executive branches of the US government define the actual volume and nature of aid to Ukraine. For Kyiv, according to Zelenskyy, the key indicator is specific bills and decisions by Congress, not just the rhetoric of the parties.
