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A Democratic sweep on Capitol Hill puts fresh Ukraine aid back on the table, restricting the White House’s foreign policy room to maneuver.
Tuesday’s midterm elections in the US delivered a major shakeup on Capitol Hill, putting Democrats back in charge of Congress.
By capturing traditional conservative strongholds across Texas, Kansas, and South Carolina, the party locked down a decisive 54-seat majority in the Senate. Key Republican lawmakers who opposed sending military aid to Kyiv also lost their seats.
That political reversal creates an immediate roadblock for Vladimir Putin, foreign policy specialist Ian Brzezinski told the TVP World program On the Record.
The former Pentagon official, who handled European defense strategy under President George W. Bush and works with the Atlantic Council, believes the outcome weakens Moscow’s hand.
Speaking with host Adam Jasser, he highlighted how the new balance on Capitol Hill limits the Russian leader’s room to operate. “It’s negative because it constrains his [Putin’s] ability to manipulate President Trump. That’s kind of the bottom line on this,” Brzezinski explained.
Pushing back hard
Donald Trump still holds the executive branch, but lawmakers now command serious leverage.
As Brzezinski noted, “The president still has constitutional prerogatives. He still is the top gun when it comes down to US foreign policy. But Congress now is in a position politically to exercise its powers more robustly. That doesn’t help Putin’s agenda.”
An emboldened legislature can block moves to pull American soldiers out of Europe and force mandatory sanctions against Moscow. As Brzezinski pointed out, veto-proof majorities could easily step in to guarantee aid packages.
“I could see Congress doing more to reanimate security assistance and economic assistance from the United States to Ukraine,” he said.
Stung by the defeat, even party loyalists may resist backing down on regional security. Brzezinski argued that Trump’s skepticism toward traditional allies runs counter to American history.
“Trump quite literally reflects a minority view, a tiny minority view of what our role in the world should be,” he said. For anxious European partners, his advice was direct: “Make the long bet on America.”
Blue Tsunami could give Ukraine fresh support
During the first two years of his second term as president, Trump has largely halted direct financial and military aid for Ukraine.
He has also lifted sanctions on Russian diesel in an attempt to force down the increasing domestic fuel prices, even though he signed the sanctions into law just weeks before announcing a widely criticized deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to import Russian diesel.
With the Democrats taking control of both chambers of Congress come January, the party will have the legislative power to approve new aid for Ukraine. Reuters noted that while Trump holds executive veto authority, multiple Republicans have historically favored supporting Kyiv, increasing the likelihood that foreign aid packages could assemble the two-thirds majorities in both chambers needed to override a presidential veto.
