Democrats won control of the House of Representatives and the US Senate in the November 3 midterm elections, and the result could change Washington’s policy toward Ukraine. The new Congress will begin work in January 2027 and will have the authority to determine which bills reach a vote and when.
According to Reuters, this could facilitate the adoption of a new package of financial and military aid for Kyiv. The agency cites an assessment that support for Ukraine in the past has been sufficiently broad among both Democrats and some Republicans to seek a majority capable of overriding a potential veto by President Donald Trump.
“Once they take control of both chambers in January, Democrats will be able to decide what is put to a vote and when,” Reuters said.At the same time, the current results do not show that Democrats can reach the two-thirds threshold on their own. The House of Representatives has 435 seats, meaning that 290 votes are needed to override a veto. In the Senate, 67 of 100 votes are required. The Associated Press reports that Democrats hold 220 seats in the House and at least 54 Senate seats, while the final size of the majorities has yet to be determined.
Aid for Kyiv remains a priority
Trump has largely halted direct financial and military aid to Ukraine, which is defending itself against the Russian invasion. According to Reuters, this is happening despite support for US aid among lawmakers from both parties.
The latest decision to provoke discontent in Congress concerns Russian diesel and the Russian energy sector. Reuters reports that Trump canceled sanctions on Russian diesel and backed away from sanctions against the Russian energy sector weeks after the relevant laws were signed. The move has also drawn criticism from Republicans.
Democratic advisers have said that aid for Kyiv is among the party’s priorities. One possible approach is to pass a new law with bipartisan support that would allow a presidential veto to be overridden. This, however, will depend on the number of Republicans willing to vote to continue supporting Ukraine.
Meeks proposes blocking Russian diesel
Trump’s policy toward the Russian energy sector may also be among the first issues addressed by the new majority. New York Democrat Gregory Meeks has introduced a bipartisan bill aimed at blocking the return of Russian diesel to the global market. Meeks is expected to chair the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
Reuters notes that Democrats could use control of both chambers to exert broader pressure on the Trump administration over sanctions, defense spending and the implementation of decisions already adopted by Congress. The specific size of the new aid package for Ukraine and the possibility of overriding a presidential veto will become clear after the new Congress is formed in January.
Sources: reuters.com, apnews.com, internazionale.it