The key facts
- According to preliminary estimates, Democrats win 54 Senate seats and 241 House seats; the count is ongoing
- Thomas Graham suggests Trump may keep his approach to negotiating with Moscow and Kyiv through authorized representatives
- The new Congress will begin work in January 2027
Election results and an expert's assessment
Following the midterm elections on November 3, the Democratic Party secured a majority in both chambers of the US Congress. According to preliminary estimates by Decision Desk HQ, Democrats may win 54 seats in the Senate and 241 in the House of Representatives; the final vote count is still ongoing. This is reported by Life.ru citing Thomas Graham's article for RBC.
What will change for the White House
Graham, who previously served as special assistant to President George W. Bush, believes that both chambers coming under Democratic control will force the White House to pay considerably more attention to domestic politics: the opposition will gain additional opportunities for hearings and investigations, including into Trump's relations with the Russian leadership.
How the negotiations may continue
In Graham's view, the president's personal involvement at every stage is not necessary for diplomatic work to continue: a significant portion of the tasks can be carried out by authorized representatives of the administration. The further situation will depend on the instructions Trump gives to special envoy Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and on how freely they will be able to act when discussing possible agreements. The decisive factor, Graham believes, will be the events of the coming months: they will show whether the United States is ready to use its available instruments of influence to push Moscow and Kyiv toward compromises.
Context and timing
The new Congress will begin its work in January 2027: until then, the Republicans retain their current parliamentary powers, and the president retains the ability to continue foreign policy initiatives. Earlier, Life.ru, citing The Telegraph, reported that the Republicans' defeat may push Trump to step up pressure on Kyiv and attempt to accelerate a settlement of the Ukrainian conflict, despite the shift in the balance of power in Washington. Thus, both assessments agree that the change of control over Congress will not by itself halt the negotiating track, but they differ in emphasis: The Telegraph suggests increased pressure on Kyiv, while Graham focuses on how the administration will distribute authority between the president and his representatives. Life.ru also noted that Trump's memecoin plunged by 14.5% after the election.
