Kallas urges new US Congress to keep backing Ukraine and press Russia

Kallas calls for more pressure on Moscow

On 4 November 2026, Kaja Kallas, the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs, told a press conference in Brussels that she hoped the new US House of Representatives and Senate would keep supporting Ukraine and put more pressure on Russia. Asked whether the election result would make Europe feel more backed in the face of Russia's invasion, she pointed to transatlantic cooperation and said Europe and the United States are much stronger together. She argued that a united message could make clear to Moscow that it should end the war. Kallas acknowledged that American voters had already made their choice at the ballot box, and she asked that the outcome be watched to see how it shapes US foreign policy. At the press conference she put the point simply:

“The American voters have clearly expressed their choice.”

What the midterms changed in Washington

The Democratic Party won control of both chambers of Congress in the 3 November midterm elections. According to projections by US media outlets, Democrats secured at least the 51 Senate seats needed for a majority and passed the 218 House seats required to control the chamber. The result is a heavy setback for President Donald Trump, who will serve his final two years with a Congress controlled by the opposition. His campaign had been marked by discontent with his economic policy and a rising cost of living. Democrats have said they will push their own legislative agenda and increase scrutiny of the Republican administration, while Trump has warned he will use his presidential veto to block bills he opposes.

Reaction in the European Parliament

Socialist and liberal members of the European Parliament reacted with enthusiasm to the result, while senior EU institutional figures largely kept quiet and cautious. Iratxe García Pérez, who presides over the Socialists and Democrats group, celebrated the Democratic victory as the arrival of a blue wave. She said it marked the beginning of the end of Trump's wars, illegal tariffs and attacks on democracy. Valérie Hayer, president of the liberal Renew group, said hope had won and that American voters had shown division, intimidation and attacks on democratic institutions cannot go unanswered. The European People's Party took a more cautious line.

Talks on Ukraine in Brussels

The Trump administration has in recent months shown openness toward Moscow, including by easing some sanctions and increasing pressure on Kyiv to reach a peace deal. On 4 November, negotiators from Ukraine, the United States and Europe met at the European Commission in Brussels for talks on the war. Kallas said European demands on Russia had to be taken into account in the negotiations under way. She regretted that discussions so far had focused mainly on concessions Ukraine should accept, with too little emphasis on what should be asked of Moscow. Ukraine has received financial and weapons aid from Western allies since Russia invaded on 24 February 2022. The invasion has been described as the most serious security crisis in Europe since the Second World War, 1939-1945.

What comes next

Kallas is scheduled to be in Lisbon during the week of 4 November. The new Congress will take office in January and will gain influence over budget policy and legislation. Trump keeps significant foreign policy powers, including the conduct of diplomacy over the war in Ukraine. Kallas said Europe would wait to see how the election result shapes US policy toward the war.