US Midterm Elections: What Congress Means for Ukraine, Iran, and Foreign Aid

What the midterm elections decide

The article by Deutsche Welle, published on November 3, 2026, is devoted to the US congressional midterm elections, which will take place on Tuesday. The outlet reminds readers that the president does not single-handedly determine where the country goes to war or which states receive financial or military aid: both chambers of Congress pass laws and approve spending, and also oversee the president and the intelligence services. The president can veto legislation, but Congress can override a veto with a two-thirds majority in both chambers; in addition, the Senate confirms nominees for cabinet posts, ambassadors, and federal judges.

Ukraine, Iran, and aid: what could change

Republicans currently hold majorities in both chambers, which makes governing easier for Trump; however, according to recent polls, Democrats could win control of at least the House of Representatives, and possibly the Senate as well. The outlet describes the shift in policy on Ukraine: under the Democrat Joe Biden, the United States, together with Europe, supported Ukraine with money, military expertise, and large-scale arms deliveries, but under Trump, sanctions against Russia have been suspended, aid to Ukraine has been cut, and the president himself openly admits that he finds it easier to get along with Vladimir Putin than with Volodymyr Zelensky. Brandon Conradis, an editor at Bloomberg Government, commented to DW that Democrats criticize the administration for insufficient support of Ukraine and could push bills providing additional aid; the fate of such a bill, if the president vetoed it, would depend on the balance of power in Congress.

The limits of Congress's powers

On the war against Iran, which Trump launched together with Israel on February 28 without consulting Congress, Democrats have repeatedly voted against it and even adopted, together with some Republicans, a resolution calling for an end to hostilities, which the administration ignored. Michael O'Hanlon of the Brookings Institution think tank suggested to DW that Congress has few real levers here, but it could block a major escalation by refusing to fund it. In the area of aid, shortly after the start of his second term Trump sharply cut funding for projects fighting Ebola, AIDS, and hunger and shut down the USAID agency; a Congress controlled by Democrats could push for increased aid spending and investigate the agency's closure through hearings, although, in the outlet's assessment, 'reactivating' it against the president's will is doubtful. DW emphasizes that there will be no complete reversal of course — the United States will remain a country with a Republican president — but the balance of power will change.