Latest US-Ukraine tensions could determine these battleground races

Some of the largest pockets of the more than 1 million Ukrainian Americans in the United States live in swing districts and battleground states, raising the potential political consequences for President Donald Trump’s latest tiff with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky just two weeks out from the Nov. 3 midterm elections.Trump has eased Russian sanctions in an effort to bring down high domestic fuel prices that are jeopardizing Republicans at the polls, and criticized Zelensky for war tactics while simultaneously denying that he limited U.S. intelligence sharing and Ukraine’s access to key satellite communications service Starshield that it uses against missile attacks.“All I want is for Russia and Ukraine to stop that stupid war,” Trump told reporters Monday at the White House. But for certain U.S. lawmakers, the war still playing out across the globe could boost Democrats in close races as Trump receives bipartisan backlash.Those like Reps. Mike Lawler (R-NY), Max Miller (R-OH), Thomas Kean Jr. (R-NJ), and Rob Bresnahan (R-PA) have districts that are among the most competitive and each home to thousands of constituents with Ukrainian heritage, according to the most recent U.S. census data available. It’s unclear how many of those who are foreign-born are eligible to vote.Miller’s Cleveland-area seat had the largest Ukrainian-American population among battleground districts, with more than 20,000 residents, according to census data.Scant independent polling exists for House races, but Lawler, Miller, and Bresnahan are all in toss-up contests. Kean, whose absence from Congress as he battled depression has plagued his campaign, is in a seat favored to flip to Democrats.Ohio and Alaska, where Sens. Jon Husted (R-OH) and Dan Sullivan (R-AK) face battleground reelections, have the most residents with Ukrainian ties among the toss-up Senate races this cycle. About 0.37% of each state’s population has Ukrainian ancestry, with roughly 44,500 in Ohio and 2,600 in Alaska.Sullivan and Husted both trail their respective opponents by about 2.5 points, according to the RealClearPolitics polling aggregate.Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), co-chairman of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus who represents a perennial battleground district, threatened congressional investigations and budget cuts if it’s determined the administration is restricting Ukraine’s Starshield access, the military-grade sister satellite internet service to SpaceX’s Starlink. More than 14,600 of Fitzpatrick’s constituents reported having Ukrainian ancestry.“I will be assuring President Zelensky that anyone who attempts to limit the use of Starshield for Ukraine will be fully investigated and will be held fully accountable, to include public congressional oversight hearings, and immediate harsh and punitive budget cuts to any responsible agency or agency head,” Fitzpatrick posted on X, adding that he planned to meet with Zelensky.President Donald Trump meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026, at the U.N. headquarters. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP Photo) A bipartisan group of lawmakers reaffirmed their backing for the U.S. ally following a video call with Zelensky on Monday, around the time Trump slammed his Ukrainian counterpart to the press. Zelensky confirmed Ukraine’s Starlink services remained degraded and its ability to intercept Russian drones jeopardized, and he reported disruptions in U.S. intelligence sharing, according to senators.“Russia’s war machine, disabling Ukraine’s satellite communications, and crippling its air defense are all impediments to peace,” Sens. Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), who organized the call, said in a joint statement. “Trying to appease a murderous thug like Vladimir Putin will only prolong this war and bring greater casualties.”RUBIO DEFENDS DELAYED PATRIOT SHIPMENTS TO UKRAINE: ‘WE HAVE OUR OWN NEEDS TOO’White House special envoy Steve Witkoff, the lead negotiator in peace talks, met Tuesday with Zelensky in Norway, shortly after Secretary of State Marco Rubio denied accusations the U.S. was delaying Patriot interceptor shipments out of spite. But as administration officials tried to repair strained relations privately, Trump’s public remarks and executive policy decisions offered the latest reminders of his rocky relationship with Zelensky.“Zelensky doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” Trump told reporters, responding to the Ukrainian president saying his American counterpart is on the wrong side of history. “Zelensky is a man that should have had this war settled a long time ago. If he would have listened to me, he would have made a much better deal a long time ago, and he’d have a million people living from his side.”