The White House is illuminated, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, in Washington.
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Alex Brandon/AP
One color dominated international headlines about the US midterm election results on Wednesday. French newspaper Libération called the Democrats’ win “une vague bleue,” or blue wave, Britain’s Daily Mail dubbed it a “historic blue tsunami,” and The Times of India’s headline ran “midterm blues for Trump.”
Countries at war were also watching closely, with Ukrainian newspaper The Kyiv Independent’s online headline hopeful: “Democrats seize control of Congress in blow to Trump, potential boost for Ukraine.”
Russia had a different take. Rossiyskaya Gazeta, the state-run daily newspaper, suggested the results would in fact be a blow to Ukraine, which has firm support from the EU. “Brussels, brace yourself. After the Republicans’ defeat, Trump’s wrath will fall on Europe,” read the headline.
In the Middle East, the Tehran Times put the Republicans’ resounding defeat down to President Trump’s decision to attack Iran earlier this year.
“The Iran war comes home to hit Trump at the ballot box,” its headline read. The war, which Trump promised would be over quickly, has dragged on, sent oil prices soaring, and affected many Americans’ daily lives with the affordability crisis.
And in Israel, which just held its own seismic elections last week, headlines focused on what the Democrats’ victory means for the U.S. support of the Jewish state and its war in Gaza.
The Times of Israel ran a headline focusing on Democrat, and Muslim, candidate Abdul El-Sayed’s triumph in the Michigan Senate race, saying “Anti-Israel El-Sayed wins Michigan Senate race, pledges no money for ‘apartheid, genocide.'” The headline in Israel’s other daily Haaretz read: “Abdul El-Sayed Shows Opposition to Israel Is No Barrier to Winning Battleground States.”
Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed speaks at an election night event, early Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026, in Detroit.
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Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP
The Toronto Star, in the US’ northern neighbor Canada, which is in the midst of a contentious trade war with the U.S., called the results a “rebuke” to Trump. Across the southern border in Mexico, El Universal newspaper’s headline was similar, reading simply: “Setback for Trump.”
Some foreign politicians celebrate, others silent
Many foreign leaders shied away from commenting directly on the results, as unlike a U.S. presidential election where they politely congratulate the winner, they see midterms as a domestic American issue.
However Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who has an acrimonious relationship with Trump, was forthright on X.
“Yesterday, American society voted against policies that only impoverish. Against hate. Against machismo. Against climate denialism and against the privileges of the elites,” Sanchez said.
In South Africa, where diplomatic relations with the U.S. are at an all-time low after Trump falsely accused the government of persecuting its white minority, President Cyril Ramaphosa said “The people of America have spoken.”
Ramaphosa made the comments as he cast his own ballot in South Africa’s municipal elections Wednesday, adding: “I do think that this is going to introduce a new era in world relations…. We’re hoping that on a bilateral basis there will be a coming together of minds.”
A senior Russia diplomat suggested the Democratic Party’s return to power in both houses of Congress bode ill for U.S.-Russian relations. “The approach of the activist wing of the Democratic Party towards Russia is extremely negative. There’s nothing new in that,” said Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov in an interview with the state RIA-Novosti news service. Rybakov also signaled there would be no grand shifts in Russian foreign policy as a result.
In Germany, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius congratulated Democrats on an “historic victory,” adding that Berlin’s commitment to cooperating with the administration in Washington remains unchanged. He stressed that Berlin will be reaching out to both Democrats and Republicans.
Iranian government supporters step on U.S. and Israeli flags during the annual rally marking the anniversary of the 1979 U.S. Embassy takeover, outside the former embassy in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026.
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Vahid Salemi/AP
Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said the results are a “powerful political signal about a change of course among American voters.” Speaking to Reuters, Stoere said “voices are now emerging in American politics that are closer to us than the president and the administration have stood for, for example on climate and environment, and in foreign policy and development aid policy.”
There was no immediate reaction from UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham, but London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who Trump has frequently sparred with, said on X: “Congratulations to Democrats on a huge victory last night. With a focus on hope, unity and supporting families with the cost of living – their campaign was a true rejection of the damaging and divisive politics of Donald Trump.”
A spokeswoman for China’s foreign ministry told a daily press conference that the midterm elections “are an internal affair of the United States.” She added that “China is willing to continue working with the U.S. to…strengthen communication, properly manage differences, expand cooperation, and build a constructive, strategically stable China-U.S. relationship based on the principles of respect, fairness, and reciprocity.”
Japan’s top government spokesman, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told a press conference that Japan’s alliance with the U.S. remains essential for global peace and stability, regardless of the outcome of midterm elections.
The alliance “remains the cornerstone of Japan’s foreign and security policy” and is crucial to “maximizing its national interests” amid an increasingly volatile and uncertain global situation,” he added.
Middle East reacts
Iran’s Parliament Speaker and top negotiator Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf commented on X: “Conscience or the cost of living, Americans said NO TO WAR, and we endorse this message. If the US govt betrays their public will to serve international paymasters and blackmailers, it will learn our NO comes with a Nightmare.”
For Israel, the US midterm results fall during a time of political uncertainty, amid coalition-building talks after Trump’s ally, incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, lost his parliamentary majority in Oct. 27 Israeli elections. “In some ways Netanyahu lost two elections in the last week,” said Israel-American analyst Mairav Zonstein.
Netanyahu’s rivals seized on the midterm results. One Israeli opposition leader, Yair Golan, said the U.S. results reveal “just how toxic Netanyahu is among both Democrats and Republicans.” Another, Yair Lapid, said the U.S. results “eliminate any possibility of a unity government led by Netanyahu.”
Additional reporting by Charles Maynes in Moscow, Esme Nicholson in Berlin, Lauren Frayer in Tel Aviv, Hadeel Al-Shalchi in Istanbul, Anthony Kuhn in Seoul.
