US elections: Can the new Congress stop Washington's drift towards policies favorable to the Kremlin? According to the results of the midterm elections on November 3, the Democrats gained control of both houses of the US Congress. This is a significant political defeat for Donald Trump, but it is not a guarantee of a change in American policy towards Ukraine and Europe. The new Congress will have more power to control the administration, influence defense budgets, sanctions and military aid. At the same time, Trump remains president until January 2029 and retains significant powers in foreign policy. In recent years, Ukrainian expectations of the United States have changed almost to the point of absurdity. If earlier Ukraine relied on Washington's support as one of the signatories of the Budapest Memorandum, now it hopes more and more at least that the US will not prevent it from defending itself. Intelligence support will not be limited. They will not prevent attacks on military targets in the Russian Federation. Will not use dependence on American technology, in particular Starlink, as a tool of political pressure. For Europe, these elections are another reminder that its security should not depend on the political situation in Washington. European countries should accelerate the development of their own defense production, intelligence, satellite systems and other critical technologies. After all, even a Democratic victory in Congress does not guarantee the US's return to predictable foreign policy. At the same time, it is important not to identify all of America with the Trump administration. In the US, there remain influential politicians of both parties, the military, experts and citizens who are aware of the threat of Russian resurgence. This indicates how much the main question of the Ukrainians towards Washington has changed. Earlier we asked: "Will the US help Ukraine defeat Russia?" " Now we ask more and more often: "Can the US at least not prevent Ukraine from harming the aggressor? And the very change of expectations like this indicates a deep crisis of trust, which cannot be overcome by elections alone.

US elections: Can the new Congress stop Washington's drift towards policies favorable to the Kremlin? According to the results of the midterm elections on November 3, the Democrats gained control of both houses of the US Congress. This is a significant political defeat for Donald Trump, but it is not a guarantee of a change in American policy towards Ukraine and Europe. The new Congress will have more power to control the administration, influence defense budgets, sanctions and military aid. At the same time, Trump remains president until January 2029 and retains significant powers in foreign policy. In recent years, Ukrainian expectations of the United States have changed almost to the point of absurdity. If earlier Ukraine relied on Washington's support as one of the signatories of the Budapest Memorandum, now it hopes more and more at least that the US will not prevent it from defending itself. Intelligence support will not be limited. They will not prevent attacks on military targets in the Russian Federation. Will not use dependence on American technology, in particular Starlink, as a tool of political pressure. For Europe, these elections are another reminder that its security should not depend on the political situation in Washington. European countries should accelerate the development of their own defense production, intelligence, satellite systems and other critical technologies. After all, even a Democratic victory in Congress does not guarantee the US's return to predictable foreign policy. At the same time, it is important not to identify all of America with the Trump administration. In the US, there remain influential politicians of both parties, the military, experts and citizens who are aware of the threat of Russian resurgence. This indicates how much the main question of the Ukrainians towards Washington has changed. Earlier we asked: "Will the US help Ukraine defeat Russia?" " Now we ask more and more often: "Can the US at least not prevent Ukraine from harming the aggressor? And the very change of expectations like this indicates a deep crisis of trust, which cannot be overcome by elections alone.