How Trump suffered a crushing election defeat and whether Congress has got more friends of Ukraine

Read more about the main election results, as well as the "friends of Ukraine" in the new Congress, in the article by Olha Kovalchuk, a European Pravda journalist: Bad for Trump, good for Kyiv: how the elections are reshaping Congress and what this means for Ukraine.

In the United States, news of the Democrats’ victory in the Senate elections emerged late in the evening on 3 November, practically as soon as voting had ended.

As of midday on 4 November, votes were still being counted across the country. However, Democrats appeared likely to secure 54 seats, comfortably exceeding the 51 needed for a majority. Republicans would be represented by 44 senators. Two seats remained undecided – in Mississippi and Alaska – where candidates from the two parties were separated by a very narrow margin. Nevertheless, these seats would no longer determine the outcome.

In the Senate elections, the Democratic Party not only managed to gain the four additional seats it needed, but also succeeded in turning some of the most traditionally Republican states blue: Kansas, Texas, Ohio, North Carolina and South Carolina.

While only one-third of the Senate seats were up for election this time, all seats in the House of Representatives were contested.

A Democratic victory in the House was virtually guaranteed. They needed to win just three additional seats to secure a majority. It now appears that the "blues" have won 228 seats in the lower chamber of Congress, well above the 218 required for a majority.

Both the Senate and the House of Representatives are set for major leadership changes. These changes promise to be positive for Ukraine. Overall, the balance of power in Congress is also expected to shift in favour of pro-Ukrainian forces.

Once the newly elected Congress is sworn in on 3 January 2027, both chambers will see changes in their leadership.

As expected, Chuck Schumer is set to become Senate Majority Leader, which is good news for Ukraine.

In addition to Schumer, several other outspoken supporters of Kyiv have been elected or re-elected to the Senate. These include Sherrod Brown, Chris Coons, Abdul El-Sayed and Chris Pappas.

The House of Representatives is also set for major changes, and the outlook for Ukraine appears quite positive.

Most likely, after 3 January, Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic leader in the House, will become Speaker. He is a consistent supporter of Ukraine and a critic of any easing of sanctions against Russia.

The key House committee for Ukraine – the Foreign Affairs Committee – is likely to be chaired by re-elected New York Democrat Gregory Meeks. Meeks is known for his numerous initiatives in support of Ukraine.

Also re-elected to the House were Ukrainian-American Democrat Marcy Kaptur and Ukrainian-American Democratic Congressman Eugene Vindman.

But it is not only Democrats who support Ukraine. Pro-Ukrainian Republican Joe Wilson of South Carolina is also likely to return to the House.

Unexpectedly, in a late-evening interview with The New York Times on 3 November, the US president stated that he would accept the election results and work with the Democrats.

This is an obvious reference to his veto power, which could block any legislative initiative put forward by the Democratic majority in Congress. In fact, just days before the election, Trump announced that if the Democrats won, he would have to become "Mr. Veto".

However, Trump’s powers are not unlimited – just as Congress is far more than a mere decorative institution. The key instrument in lawmakers’ hands is the federal budget, which can serve as leverage over the White House. In such circumstances, the administration would have to seek common ground and reach compromises through negotiations with Congress.

It cannot be ruled out that Ukraine-related issues could also become part of such political bargaining in disputes between Democratic lawmakers and the Republican administration.

Nevertheless, the continued bipartisan support for Ukraine within the new Congress gives reason to hope that the "Ukraine issue" will not become a bargaining chip.