US President Donald Trump has convinced himself that Ukraine’s strikes on Russian oil refineries are partly aimed at weakening the Republican Party’s chances in the midterm elections. The Atlantic reported this, citing unnamed sources close to the US president.
According to the magazine, Trump is demanding an “energy truce” in the Russia-Ukraine war. In early October, he announced such a truce, although, according to The Atlantic, there were no grounds for doing so.
Attitude toward strikes on energy infrastructure
Trump directs his criticism exclusively at Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries, linking them to rising energy prices. At the same time, he ignores Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, the publication notes.
Three people close to the US president told the magazine that Trump believes Ukrainian strikes on oil refineries are partly intended to undermine Republicans’ chances in next month’s elections — and therefore his own as well.
Several hours after a drone strike on a park that killed six people, including two children, Trump downplayed the scale of Russian strikes on Ukraine.
“Russia is not doing all that much.”
Donald Trump, US President
A photograph of one of the children killed — a one-year-old girl sitting in a stroller — was seen around the world, the article says.
The Atlantic writes that Trump’s indulgent attitude toward Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has remained a feature of his policy for a decade. In the publication’s view, the new wave of concessions has created an additional obstacle for Republicans ahead of the elections.
Election forecasts and the new composition of Congress
Several Republican Party representatives publicly criticized the US president’s decision. In particular, they opposed his attempts to derail the advancement of a sanctions bill that Trump signed a month ago in honor of the late Senator Lindsey Graham.
Representatives of both parties predict that Democrats will win a majority in the House of Representatives next month. At the same time, the battle for control of the Senate remains unpredictable, in their assessment.
The new Congress is due to begin work on January 3. Until then, Trump, the article notes, will have another two months to exercise his powers — including before Republicans potentially lose their majority.
Ahead of the midterm elections, Trump’s job approval rating stands at 33%, while 66% disapprove of his actions. Another 52% of respondents said they strongly disapprove of the US president’s performance.
Political commentator Vitaliy Portnikov believes that Trump may resort to steps aimed at helping the Republican Party win the midterm elections.
“Unpredictable.”
Vitaliy Portnikov, political commentator
