2026 US midterms: After Republican defeat, Ukraine clings to slim hope of slowing US drift toward Russia

Kirill Dmitriev, a Russian envoy, was set to meet Melania Trump in Washington shortly after the midterm elections. His official agenda included discussions on humanitarian issues related to Ukraine, but his primary goal was to negotiate the lifting of US sanctions on the Russian Direct Investment Fund, which had been labeled a Kremlin slush fund. Despite the Democratic victory in Congress, Russia aimed to maintain business ties with the Trump administration, emphasizing that Trump remained in power.