New Delhi: The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has expressed hope that the Democrats’ victory in the US midterm elections will bring greater American support for Ukraine. He said the shift in Congress could strengthen Washington’s ties with Europe and put additional pressure on the Russian president, Vladimir Putin.
In an interview with ZDF, Zelenskyy discussed the possible impact of the election results on the war with Russia. He said the Democrats had been clear about their commitment to supporting Ukraine.
“I am also grateful to the Republicans, but the Democrats are speaking very clearly about supporting” Ukraine, about helping Ukraine. They are talking about renewing the connection between the US and Europe, Zelenskyy said.
He added that the election results could create a better balance of power in Washington. This, he hoped, would translate into more assistance for Kyiv.
Zelenskyy said increased US financial and military aid could pressure Moscow to reconsider continuing the war and push Russia towards negotiations, citing Europe’s support for Ukraine.
The interview comes as the United States prepares to mediate working-level negotiations between Ukraine and Russia in Abu Dhabi on November 10–11, the United States special envoy, Steve Witkoff, said on Tuesday. The discussions will focus on post-war security arrangements, de-escalation, humanitarian efforts and steps towards peace.
Zelenskyy also spoke about Elon Musk’s SpaceX and its Starlink satellite service. He acknowledged that the technology had helped Ukraine maintain connectivity during the early stages of the war.
“We are grateful to SpaceX for providing us with the connection. That was very helpful at the beginning of the war. But we have to be clear: we do not like his attitude towards this war,” he said.
Melania Trump gets top Ukraine honour
Earlier, Zelenskyy awarded the United States first lady, Melania Trump, the Order of Princess Olha, First Class. The honour recognizes her contribution to humanitarian support for Ukraine. The presidential decree cited her efforts to help Ukrainians affected by the war. It also recognized her work concerning children displaced by the conflict.
The award comes after a ceasefire in Ukraine’s southern Kherson region allowed several hundred people to be evacuated from the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky.
Russian and Ukrainian representatives are due to meet at the White House on Thursday. Melania Trump invited the delegations following her involvement in efforts to secure the ceasefire.
The delegations include Ukrainian human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets and his Russian counterpart Yana Lantratova, BBC reported. Ukrainian lawmaker Davyd Arakhamia and Russian official Kirill Dmitriev are also expected to attend.
The White House said Melania Trump had independently initiated engagement between the two countries. It credited her efforts with helping secure the ceasefire.
Melania Trump has also worked on the issue of Ukrainian children displaced to Russia. In 2025, she said she had established an open channel of communication with Vladimir Putin to help reunite children with their families.