If the US Democrats lose control of the House of Representatives and the Senate, the colossal economic and military support given to Ukraine under the Democrats could be withdrawn. Ahead of Tuesday’s results, Zelensky called on US politicians to maintain “unwavering unity” and follow Ukraine’s example “until peace is restored”. “Democracies must not stop on their way to victory,” Zelensky said. “When Russia decided to destroy our freedom and wipe Ukraine off the face of the earth, we immediately united and we maintain that unity.” Most Republicans supported helping Ukraine defend itself against Russia. In fact, Ukraine has been one of the few issues that has garnered strong cross-party support in recent years. However, in the run-up to the midterm elections, prominent figures in the Republican party – particularly those in Donald Trump’s wing – have questioned the continued funding of Ukraine. Right-wing populist Republican Marjorie Taylor Green told a Trump rally in Iowa last month that “not another penny will go to Ukraine” if Republicans win, as US interests must come first. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, a Republican who could become the next speaker of the House, said that while Ukraine was important, there would be no “blank check” if Republicans controlled Congress. However, other Republicans criticized the comments. Republican Adam Kinzinger said McCarthy was trying to appease the far right of the party to be chosen as speaker. Former Vice President Mike Pence called for continued support, as did House Armed Services Committee member Michael Waltz, who pointed out that a majority of Republicans support aid to Ukraine and several key Republican senators, including Mitch McConnell. Senate Republican Leader. The US is by far Ukraine’s biggest financial backer. Since the invasion, the US has given Ukraine $18.9bn (£16.3bn) in aid and pledged almost twice as much as Ukraine’s European allies. Amid reports by the Washington Post that the US has asked Kyiv to signal it is open to negotiations to appease allies in parts of Europe, Africa and Latin America worried about protracted war, Ukraine has doubled down on its terms for Irene. Ukraine has said it will start negotiations only when Russian troops leave all of Ukraine, including Crimea and parts of eastern Ukraine seized by Russia in 2014. Without that, presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak told Radio Svoboda on Tuesday, any deal would it was a temporary truce that Russia would use to rearm and try to retake Ukraine. Podolyak claimed in the interview that the Washington Post may be getting its information from pro-Russian politicians, describing the reports as part of “the information program of the Russian Federation.” He later went further, tweeting that the Kremlin was “desperately attached” to the US midterm elections. “They sincerely believe that Ukraine can be surrendered ‘at the call’ of the White House and are hopelessly attached to the election,” Podolyak tweeted. For the US, Podolyak said, it was “extremely beneficial” for Ukraine to win the war, firstly because it would signal to other authoritarian leaders that if they attacked another country, international law would be upheld and secondly, because the US and its allies he had too much invested in them to let Russia win. “If Ukraine doesn’t win the war… [then] despite the large and powerful economic, financial, military and advisory assistance from NATO countries, above all the USA, Russia won. You understand what will turn out in this case. That the Russian army… is much better, Russia really has the “second army in the world” [and] Russia can dictate the terms.” In further comments to Italy’s la Repubblica, which reported that Ukraine’s allies envision negotiations starting once Ukraine recaptures the southern Kherson region, Podolyak said: “We have no other choice… If we stop defending, we will cease to exist. Literally. Physically. We will continue to fight even if they stab us in the back.” Ukraine’s allies, at least under the current framework, do not seem close to forcing Ukraine into negotiations with Russia – instead choosing to reiterate that it is Kiev’s choice when and how negotiations take place. French President Emmanuel Macron said during a press conference at Cop27 that while negotiations will have to take place at some point, “they will have to take place within the terms of who is elected by Ukraine.” US State Department spokesman Ned Price said during a briefing in Washington on Tuesday that Russia is doing the opposite of saying it is ready for negotiations by “escalating the war”. But the US confirmed it was keeping channels open with Russia to ease global fears of nuclear war. Joe Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said it was in the U.S.’s best interest to talk with Russia, despite the war, adding that officials “are aware of who we’re dealing with.”
