The U.S. midterm congressional elections will not significantly affect support for Ukraine – the majority of Americans consistently support the country. This was noted by William Taylor, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine from 2006 to 2009 and from 2019 to 2020, during a special discussion organised by the Kyiv Security Forum titled “NATO Summit in Ankara: Decisions, Challenges, and the Way Forward.”

Responding to a question about the possible consequences of the November elections, Taylor emphasized the consistent level of support for Ukraine in the U.S. “Congress has been very clear in its support for Ukraine in its opposition to Russia. The delegation of congressmen in Ankara serves as a demonstration of this support. The same can be said about the general public: if you ask Americans how they feel about Ukrainians, the majority believes that support for Ukraine should be strengthened,” he noted.

According to him, the current administration can also move in this direction. “I don’t see these elections in November having a great effect, since the general direction of support is already there,” the diplomat emphasized.

Separately, Taylor emphasized that Ukraine is a contributor to security and “is doing what NATO was formed to do – deterring Russia.”

The discussion took place in the Ukrainian capital as part of the new project ‘Kyiv Security Forum: Deep Strike’ – a series of expert discussions on pressing issues and key trends in Ukraine’s security, economy and foreign policy.

Participants in the discussion included Arseniy Yatsenyuk, Chairman of the Kyiv Security Forum, Prime Minister of Ukraine (2014–2016); and Danylo Lubkivsky, Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine (2014), Member of the Security Council, Kyiv Security Forum. Joining online were Tanya Hartman, Head, Policy East Team, Political Affairs and Security Policy Division, NATO HQ; Ambassador William Taylor, Distinguished Fellow, Atlantic Council, U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine (2006–2009; 2019–2020); Ambassador Kurt Volker, US Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations (2017–2019); Marcin Buzanski, Director of the European Office of the Kyiv Security Forum (Brussels). The discussion was moderated by Mark Lobel, a BBC journalist and BBC presenter.

A video recording of the discussion is available in Ukrainian here and in English here.

The Kyiv Security Forum (KSF), founded by the Arseniy Yatsenyuk Open Ukraine Foundation, is Ukraine’s leading international discussion platform on issues of war and peace. Prominent international leaders, politicians, diplomats, experts, activists, and journalists participate in KSF events. The platform operates on several levels simultaneously: keeping Ukraine in the spotlight of the global agenda; expanding our country’s circle of international partners; and building expertise on current security issues.