The Democratic victory in the midterm elections on November 3, which stripped the Republican Party of control over both chambers of Congress, triggered immediate reactions this Wednesday in major capitals around the world.
Moscow and Beijing opted for prudence, albeit with very different messages and calculations.
Russia: hope in Trump and warning about the Democrats
The presidential spokesperson Dmitri Peskov conveyed to the Yunashev Live Telegram channel that Moscow believes Trump will not abandon his peace agenda despite the electoral setback.
"President Trump remains in power, and we sincerely hope he continues in his peacemaking efforts", stated Peskov, as reported by El Tiempo.
The spokesperson listed the progress that, in their opinion, should not be interrupted.
"We have already made some progress on the work; a new round of trilateral talks (between Russia, Ukraine, and the United States) will take place soon. We have the successful humanitarian efforts of Melania Trump, and we hope that all of this continues," he stated.
When journalists asked him if the new Congress could block Trump's peace efforts, Peskov declined to speculate: “This is an internal matter of the United States.”
The stance of Deputy Foreign Minister Serguéi Riabkov was more blunt.
In statements to the state agency RIA Novosti, he warned that the Democratic takeover of legislative control bodes ill for bilateral relations.
“The activist faction of the Democratic Party's approach to Russia is extremely negative. There's nothing new about that,” he stated.
Riabkov made it clear that Moscow will not change its course.
"Our consistent and principled stance on the issue of Ukraine is independent of political events in other countries. We will continue our work in accordance with the guidelines of the President of the Russian Federation," he added.
The Russian state media adopted a tone different from that of the Kremlin.
The government newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta titled: "Brussels, prepare yourself. After the defeat of the Republicans, Trump's wrath will fall upon Europe," according to a report by NPR.
China: utmost discretion and eyes set on Shenzhen
Beijing chose calculated neutrality. The spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mao Ning, characterized the elections as a "domestic issue" of the United States, and reiterated the intention to keep channels open with Washington.
"China is willing to work with the United States to safeguard and implement the important agreements reached by the two leaders, strengthen exchanges, properly manage disagreements, expand cooperation, and build a constructive strategic relationship based on respect and equality," Mao stated to reporters in Beijing.
The spokesperson also confirmed that Beijing is working on the preparation of a possible historic trilateral summit between Xi, Putin, and Trump: "China is in communication with the relevant parties regarding a meeting between the heads of state of China, Russia, and the United States," on the sidelines of the APEC summit scheduled in Shenzhen on November 18 and 19.
The Kremlin had described that meeting as "in preparation" since October 21, and Xi Jinping and Donald Trump had already met twice in 2026, most recently in September.
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