The US Democratic Party won majorities in both the Senate and House of Representatives following the November 3, 2026 midterm elections, ending two years of Republican control of Congress. However, vote counting continues in several districts, with final certification of results expected in November and December, the Experts Club information and analytical center reports.
According to figures published by The Guardian on November 4, Democrats secured at least 228 seats in the House of Representatives, compared with 139 for Republicans. Winners had been determined in 367 of the 435 districts, leaving 68 seats undecided. A majority in the House requires 218 seats.
In the Senate, Democrats and two independent senators who caucus with the party secured 54 seats, compared with 44 held by Republicans. The outcomes of two Senate races remained undecided at the time of publication.
Among the most significant developments were Democratic victories in states long regarded as Republican strongholds. Democrats captured previously Republican-held Senate seats in Texas, Kansas, Iowa, Ohio, Maine, North Carolina and South Carolina.
In Texas, Democrat James Talarico became the first member of his party elected to the Senate from the state in 38 years. In Kansas, Adam Hamilton defeated incumbent Senator Roger Marshall, while former Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown returned to the Senate in Ohio.
The party also achieved victories in gubernatorial elections. Democrat Gina Hinojosa defeated incumbent Texas Governor Greg Abbott, while Keisha Lance Bottoms won in Georgia, Amy Acton in Ohio and Rob Sand in Iowa.
According to voter surveys, the main sources of public dissatisfaction included the high cost of living, inflation, economic difficulties, the war with Iran and the trade policies of President Donald Trump’s administration. Nearly nine in ten respondents identified the cost of living as an important factor in their voting decisions.
Nevertheless, final election results have yet to be established. In particular, Senate races in Alaska and Mississippi remained unresolved, while votes were still being counted in dozens of House districts.
According to Ballotpedia, most states will complete official certification of their results during November and December. California, for example, plans to certify its results by December 11.
Democratic control of Congress could significantly affect US economic policy. The party will gain greater influence over the federal budget, tax legislation, government spending and regulation of the financial and technology sectors.
The election results are also important for Ukraine because Congress plays a role in approving defense expenditures and international assistance programs. Democrats will have greater opportunities to influence US support for Ukraine, although specific decisions will depend on cooperation between Congress and the Trump administration.
The newly elected Congress will begin its term on January 3, 2027. Until then, the current Congress will remain in office.
Thus, the main political outcome of the midterm elections is already clear: Democrats have secured control of both chambers of Congress, although the final distribution of seats will not be known until vote counting and official certification are completed.
Former Brazilian presidential candidate and Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, who lost the second round of the presidential election to incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, arrived in the United States and declared himself the country’s legitimately elected president. The politician subsequently revised his statement, calling himself the “leader of Brazil,” but continued to refuse to recognize the voting results, Reuters reported.
Bolsonaro arrived in Miami on October 28 aboard a private plane with his wife and two daughters. After the second round of the election on October 25, he left Brazil, first crossing the land border into Argentina and then flying to the United States via Ecuador.
In an open letter published on the social network X, Bolsonaro initially described himself as the “true elected president of Brazil.” However, some time later, he deleted the original version and published a new document, replacing that wording with “leader of Brazil.”
The politician claimed that he had become a victim of alleged fraud in the presidential election and political persecution by the Brazilian authorities. However, he did not present evidence of large-scale irregularities capable of changing the voting results.
In his statement, Bolsonaro also thanked US President Donald Trump for allowing him to enter the country and Argentine President Javier Milei for his assistance during the trip.
The US administration had previously authorized Bolsonaro and his family members to enter the United States. Trump himself, commenting on the Brazilian politician’s statement, declined to assess his claim to the presidency but again described the election as strange.
According to the official results of Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court (TSE), published on October 26, Lula da Silva won the second round with 64,256,232 votes, or 51.79%. Flávio Bolsonaro received 59,826,041 votes, or 48.21%.
The difference between the candidates amounted to 4.43 million votes.
The voting results were recognized by Brazilian electoral authorities, international observers and the leadership of the Liberal Party, under whose banner Bolsonaro ran.
One of the losing candidate’s arguments concerned the decision by Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court to extend polling station hours by two hours. However, according to an analysis of electoral authorities’ data, fewer than 35,000 votes were cast during the additional period, significantly fewer than the final margin between the candidates.
Bolsonaro’s departure came amid an investigation into the politician on suspicion of money laundering. The Supreme Federal Court had previously ordered him to surrender his passports, but the senator left the country without complying with the order. Bolsonaro himself denies allegations of unlawful conduct and claims that he left to protect his family. In the published letter, he also stated that he intends to continue his political activities and lead the opposition from abroad.
The situation could further complicate relations between Brazil and the United States. Lula had previously accused Washington of supporting the Bolsonaro family, while the US administration rejected accusations of interfering in Brazil’s internal affairs.
According to political analysts, Bolsonaro’s presence in the United States could create new opportunities for the international activities of his supporters, but at the same time complicate the management of the opposition movement within Brazil.
Despite the defeat in the presidential election, conservative political forces significantly strengthened their representation in the National Congress, which will preserve their influence over legislative activity and economic policy during the next presidential term.
Flávio Bolsonaro is the eldest son of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who led the country from 2019 to 2022. Jair Bolsonaro is serving a 27-year prison sentence in a case involving an attempted coup d’état following his defeat in the 2022 election.
The volume of passenger car imports to Ukraine, including cargo-passenger vans and race cars (UKT ZED code 8703), amounted to $2.62 billion in January–July 2026, which is 17% less than the figure for the same period in 2025 ($3.16 billion).
According to statistics released by the State Customs Service of Ukraine, in July alone, passenger car imports fell by 27.2% compared to July of last year—to $443.2 million, which is also 5.3% less than in June 2026.
The top three suppliers of passenger cars to Ukraine over the first seven months have consistently been the United States, Germany, and Japan, whereas in the previous year they were Germany, the United States, and China. Specifically, car shipments from the U.S. fell by 3.2% to $508.3 million, those from Germany decreased by 26% to $416.2 million, and imports from Japan totaled $371.2 million, whereas last year, cars worth $407.7 million were imported from China.
Imports of passenger cars from other countries during this period totaled $1.33 billion—20.4% less than last year’s figure.
At the same time, over the seven-month period, Ukraine exported only $2 million worth of such vehicles, primarily to Georgia, the Czech Republic, and Kazakhstan, whereas last year, total exports to the UAE, the Czech Republic, and Poland amounted to $4.54 million.
Passenger cars accounted for 4.52% of Ukraine’s total imports of goods in January–July, compared to 6.89% during the same period last year; their share of total exports was 0.01% and 0.02%, respectively.
As previously reported, in 2025, passenger cars worth nearly $6.15 billion were imported into Ukraine, which is 40.2% more than in 2024. The top three exporters were the United States, Germany, and China. Car exports totaled $10.1 million (2.7 times less).
The significant increase in passenger car imports to Ukraine starting in the summer of 2025 was driven by news that VAT exemptions on electric vehicle imports would be abolished as of January 1, 2026; as a result, imports have declined significantly since the beginning of this year. However, starting in March, a slow but steady recovery of the passenger car market—including electric vehicles—began.
Bitcoin (BTC) saw its price surge sharply on Wednesday evening, rising to $69,700, gaining around $4,000 in a short space of time and reaching its highest level in roughly two months, according to the Fixygen website.
After reaching its intraday high, the leading cryptocurrency corrected to around $68,500–$68,700 but remained up about 6% over 24 hours. The intraday low was around $64,100.
The sharp move began after the US Department of the Treasury announced that it would at least double the volume of buyback operations involving long-term US government bonds, to $4 billion or more per transaction.
Following the news, the yield on 30-year US Treasuries fell by around 8 basis points to 5.20%, with a similar decline observed in 10-year securities. At the same time, the US dollar began to weaken, while demand for risk and safe-haven assets increased.
Initially, following the Treasury’s announcement, bitcoin rose to around $64,900, then broke above $65,000, after which the rally sharply accelerated. At its peak, the price reached $69,700.
The surge triggered large-scale liquidations of short positions in the cryptocurrency market. According to CoinGlass data cited by CoinDesk, approximately $1.3 billion worth of cryptocurrency derivatives positions were liquidated in just one hour, between 14:50 and 15:50 UTC, with more than half of the total involving bitcoin trading pairs. Ethereum liquidations amounted to around $430 million.
The gains spread across virtually the entire major cryptocurrency market. Ethereum rose by around 9%, XRP by more than 6%, and Solana by around 6%.
BTC’s technical movement provided an additional factor. Before the current surge, analysts had noted the formation of an “inverse head and shoulders” pattern on the daily chart. According to technical analyst Aksel Kibar, a sustained breakout above the area around $66,600 could open the way for a move toward $76,000.
At the same time, the rapid pace of the current rally increases the likelihood of short-term volatility: a significant part of the move was amplified by the forced closure of short positions, and after reaching $69,700, bitcoin had already retreated by more than $1,000.
Bitcoin is the world’s largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization. Its supply is algorithmically limited to 21 million coins, with around 20 million BTC currently in circulation. Cryptocurrency prices are characterized by heightened volatility and can change significantly within a short period.
US President Donald Trump has suggested that Greenland could come under Washington’s operational control before the end of his current presidential term.
Trump made this statement on 31 July in an interview with Steve Gruber, a presenter on the Real America’s Voice television channel. The journalist recalled his prediction that Greenland would come under US operational control before Trump leaves office, and asked whether the island remained of key importance for the defence of the Western Hemisphere.
“Yes, you’ll be right,” Trump replied, suggesting that the presenter “place that bet”.
The US President did not specify how Washington might gain control of the island, nor did he mention any new agreement with Denmark or the Greenlandic government. His remarks therefore remain, for the time being, a political statement rather than an announcement of an agreed plan or timetable for the transfer of the territory.
Back in July, Trump had already stated that Greenland should be under US control rather than Denmark’s. He explained his position by citing the island’s strategic location and the need to counter Russian and Chinese activity in the Arctic.
In response, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen stated that Greenland is not for sale and called on allies to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark. The Greenlandic authorities also emphasise that the island’s future can only be determined by its inhabitants.
Greenland is a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. It governs most domestic matters independently, whilst defence and a significant part of foreign policy remain under Copenhagen’s jurisdiction.
The US’s interest stems from Greenland’s location between North America and Europe, control over Arctic air and sea routes, a missile launch warning system, and potential deposits of rare-earth and other critically important minerals. The United States already operates the Pituffik Space Station on the island, formerly the Thule Air Base.
American interest in acquiring the island predates Trump by a long way. The US Congressional Research Service notes that the issue of a possible acquisition of Greenland was raised by Washington in 1868, 1910 and 1946.
The US came closest to exercising effective control over the island during the Second World War. Following Germany’s occupation of Denmark, the Danish ambassador to Washington, Henrik Kaufmann, signed a defence agreement with the US on 9 April 1941 concerning Greenland.
The document preserved Danish sovereignty but allowed the United States to build and safeguard military installations. In the established defence zones, the US was granted exclusive jurisdiction, with the exception of matters concerning Danish citizens and the indigenous population.
The US military built airfields, radio stations, meteorological stations and other infrastructure on the island. They ensured the defence of the territory and drove out the German units that had landed there.
It can therefore be said that during the war years, the US effectively controlled Greenland’s military security, key transport facilities and strategic areas. However, there was no full political control or American sovereignty over the entire island — formally, it continued to belong to Denmark.
After the war ended, Washington was reluctant to leave the island entirely. In December 1946, US Secretary of State James Byrnes proposed to the Danish leadership that they consider a direct sale of Greenland. The US military leadership considered the purchase of the island to be the preferred option, whilst long-term rights to station bases there were seen as an alternative. Copenhagen did not accept the proposal.
In 1951, the US and Denmark concluded a new defence agreement within the framework of NATO. It cemented the American military presence and allowed for the establishment of the Thule Defence Area. The base built there subsequently became a key element of the early warning system for missile attacks and space surveillance.
Thus, the US already has extensive military capabilities in Greenland without changing its state status. The US can use the agreed defence areas, station personnel and operate strategic infrastructure. According to the Experts Club information and analysis centre, the current debate concerns not so much access for the US military as Washington’s potential acquisition of political control or sovereignty over the island.
In 2019, during his first presidential term, Trump also proposed buying Greenland. Denmark and the island’s authorities rejected this proposal at the time. Upon his return to the White House, Trump has once again made establishing control over the island one of the key priorities of his Arctic policy.
The US embassies in Israel and a number of other Middle Eastern countries have advised US citizens to consider leaving the region due to the risk of unforeseen escalation and possible disruptions to air travel.
“Due to heightened tensions in the Middle East, the security situation remains challenging, and the possibility of an unforeseen escalation persists,” according to warnings issued on 1 August by US diplomatic missions.
US citizens already in the region are advised to exercise increased caution and be prepared for flight cancellations, periodic airspace closures and other travel restrictions.
“Americans in the region should consider leaving or be prepared to leave in the event of an escalation,” the statement notes. Americans outside the Middle East are advised to seriously reconsider any plans to travel to or transit through the region.
Similar warnings have been issued by US embassies and diplomatic missions in Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman and Iraq. The diplomatic missions continue to provide routine consular and visa services.
The US Embassy in Jordan has additionally advised Americans to stay away from military bases in the country. The advisory also states that Iran and groups it supports may attack US interests and facilities abroad.
On 22 July, the US State Department issued a global travel advisory, urging Americans to exercise increased caution due to tensions in the Middle East. At that time, the department also warned of possible flight cancellations, airspace closures and disruptions at airports.
In other words, the US authorities have not ordered the mandatory evacuation of all citizens from Israel and other countries in the region. The advice is to make use of available commercial transport routes or to prepare an exit plan in advance in case the situation deteriorates further.
