Kremlin hopes Trump keeps pushing Ukraine peace talks after Democrats win Congress

In brief

• The Kremlin says it hopes Donald Trump will keep pushing his Ukraine peace effort through the rest of his term.
• Democrats won control of the Senate and the House in the November 3 midterm elections.
• Moscow describes the vote as an internal American matter and expects more trilateral talks soon.

Kremlin signals it expects Trump's mediation to continue

Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin's top spokesman, said Moscow is counting on Trump to continue his mediation work for the rest of his term (Kremlin Hopes Trump Will Continue ‘Peacemaking’ Efforts in Ukraine as Democrats Win Control of Congress – The Moscow Times). He called the midterm outcome an internal American matter.

Peskov told a state media reporter that further developments are underway and another round of trilateral negotiations will take place soon. He also pointed to peacemaking and humanitarian work led by Melania Trump, which he said Moscow hopes will continue.

Democrats take both chambers of Congress

Democrats won majorities in both the Senate and the House on Tuesday, November 3. Voters punished Republicans over Trump's second-term policies, including costly tariffs, mass deportations and the war against Iran, which polls show is deeply unpopular.

A Democratic-controlled Congress could complicate Washington's handling of the Ukraine war, though the Kremlin has so far avoided predicting that outcome.