Democrats in the United States have scored a major victory in midterm elections, taking control of both chambers of Congress in a stinging rebuke of President Donald Trump and his Republican Party.
asserted
Democrats → score → Trump
The results are being carefully watched outside the US, as foreign leaders consider how the new political reality in Washington could affect US foreign policy – from the conflict with Iran to the Russia-Ukraine war and trade relations.
uncertain
reality → watch → war
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Trump himself has acknowledged the US-Israel war on Iran likely impacted his party’s poor performance in the elections, saying voters were probably not ready “for the short-term consequence of the price of gasoline”.
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voters → fume → gasoline
Here are the latest reactions from world leaders, as the scale of the Democratic victory continues to emerge:
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scale → continue → victory
Iran
Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who is also the chief negotiator in talks with the US, said voters had rejected conflict.
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voters → say → conflict
“Americans said NO TO WAR, and we endorse this message,” wrote Ghalibaf in a post on X.
“If the US govt betrays their public will to serve international paymasters and blackmailers, it will learn our NO comes with a Nightmare,” he added.
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he → say → Nightmare
There was no immediate reaction from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a Trump ally whose coalition lost its own majority in Israel’s parliament in elections last week.
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coalition → be → elections
However, opposition figure Yair Golan, whose party is in a coalition seeking to replace Netanyahu, said the US vote reveals “just how toxic Netanyahu has become” among US Democrats and Republicans alike.
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Netanyahu → seek → Democrats
He warned that if Netanyahu and his far-right government remain in power, Israel would be on “a path toward international sanctions, global isolation, and a confrontation with the United States – our most important friend and ally.”
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Israel → warn → States
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid, also part of the anti-Netanyahu coalition, said the US vote effectively ruled out “any possibility of a unity government led by Netanyahu”.
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vote → say → Netanyahu
European Union
European Parliament Vice President Christel Schaldemose said the US results left her “cautiously optimistic on Europe’s behalf”.
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results → say → behalf
“Not because everything now changes for the better, but because it could benefit the support for Ukraine, the green transition, and relations with the rest of the world,” said Schaldemose in a post on X.
“But the EU must continue the course of standing stronger and standing on its own two feet.
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EU → change → feet
That’s not up for debate,” she added.
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she → ’ → debate
United Kingdom
Health Minister James Frith stressed that the UK would maintain steady, strong ties with Washington despite an apparent “seismic shift in domestic politics for the Americans”.
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UK → stress → Americans
“The change of emphasis of power in the States is frequent,” Frith told British media.
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Frith → tell → media
“So I don’t expect it to change the nature of the relationship at all; it remains very strong,” he added.
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he → expect → relationship
France
Finance Minister Roland Lescure said France would wait to see whether Trump, who remains in control of US foreign policy, adjusts his approach.
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who → say → approach
“Either he decides to rise above the fray – acknowledging that changes are necessary, particularly regarding gasoline prices, which directly affect people – and, I might add, he tones down his international involvement, or he does not,” Lescure told French TV.
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Lescure → decide → TV
“Frankly, this is something we will need to keep an eye on in the coming days.”
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we → need → days
Left-wing Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said the US Democrats’ landslide victory was emblematic of the “unravelling” of the global far right.
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victory → say → right
“It happened in Brazil.
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It → happen → Brazil
It just happened in the US.
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It → happen → US
And it will soon happen in Spain,” said Sanchez, whose own premiership is at stake in snap elections he called for November 29 .
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he → happen → November
Sanchez said US voters had rejected policies that “only impoverish”, as well as hate, sexism, climate change denialism and “the privileges of the elites”.
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that → say → elites
Greece
Government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis said US-Greek relations would not be affected by the election results.
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relations → say → results
“Greek-American relations will remain strong,” he told local media.
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he → remain → media
“The United States is our strategic ally, and this will continue for major projects and all major agreements.
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this → continue → projects
Nothing will be affected by this outcome.
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Nothing → affect → outcome
It is obvious that we respect every outcome.
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we → respect → outcome
Russia
Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov stressed the need to wait for the final results of US elections to come into focus, but noted that leaders in the US Democratic Party had a “sharply negative” approach to relations with Moscow.
Russia’s position on Ukraine and broader foreign policy “is not based on short-term considerations and, naturally, does not depend on the fluctuations of the political barometer in other countries,” Ryabkov was quoted by Russian state media as saying.
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Ryabkov → stress → media
“We will continue our work in accordance with the directives of the President of the Russian Federation,” he added.
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he → continue → Federation
China
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Beijing would continue its “constructive strategic relationship” with the US, stressing that US elections are a “domestic affair”.
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elections → say → US
“China is willing to work with the US to safeguard and implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, strengthen communication, properly manage differences and expand cooperation, build a constructive strategic relationship based on respect and equality,” Mao told reporters in Beijing.
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Mao → work → Beijing
Japan
Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said whatever the outcome of the US vote, “the Japan-US alliance the is the cornerstone of Japan’s foreign and security policy.”
“As the international situation becomes turbulent and increasingly uncertain, a strong Japan-US alliance is essential for maximising Japan’s national interests and for peace and stability in the international community,” Kihara said at a press briefing.
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Kihara → say → briefing
President Cyril Ramaphosa, who has clashed with Trump over the US president’s promotion of debunked claims of a white genocide in South Africa, said the election marks “a new era in world relations”.
“We have seen that the Democrats have taken control of the Senate and of the House, and the people of America have spoken,” Ramaphosa told reporters.
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Ramaphosa → clash → reporters
The Aporia
