‘Nancy Pelosi Will No Longer Be Speaker’: Sargsyan Highlights Issues of Interest to Armenia in US Elections

International relations expert Suren Sargsyan writes: “The midterm elections in the US have concluded. What results have been recorded, who won, and what does it mean for us?

General Picture

1. Midterm elections in the US occur during the four-year presidential term. Typically, the party of the incumbent president loses in these elections, a practice that has been observed over the last several decades. Currently, the Republicans have taken control of the House of Representatives. In the Senate, Democrats are likely to maintain their position by one or two votes (including the vice president's vote). Although counting is still ongoing in some states, the overall picture is becoming clearer.

2. Biden's affairs, of course, are complicated, but this will not have a significant impact on US foreign policy; it will mostly be of a domestic nature.

3. Trump is ‘partially satisfied’ with the election results but is likely to announce his intention to run for office again soon.

Issues of Interest to Us

1. The decision to support Ukraine will not change as a result of these elections. The anti-Russian stance is a consensus within Washington's political establishment, shared by both parties, with some exceptions, and support for Ukraine against Russia will continue. Serious changes in American policy towards Ukraine are not to be expected.

2. In Pennsylvania, Republican Mehmet Oz, one of Erdogan’s closest friends, lost, which would have provided significant weight in the Senate had he won. The organized efforts of our community and lobbyists were invaluable in this case.

3. Congressman Chebot, the head of the Turkish and Azerbaijani delegations, also lost. Despite the fact that this tandem will find a new ally in the House, it will be a time-consuming process.

Nancy Pelosi Will No Longer Be Speaker

4. As a result of these elections, Pelosi will lose her position as Speaker of the House. I don't think she will want to remain a regular congresswoman; most likely, as American media claims, she will be appointed as an ambassador and exit politics. I again emphasize that one of the key driving forces behind Pelosi's visit to Armenia was her personal attitude towards Armenians, as well as the desire to have a 'Farewell Trip' to see the Genocide Museum, which she has repeatedly mentioned to her Armenian friends and constituents. She had a significant contribution to the matter of recognizing the genocide, and visiting Armenia was an important prerequisite for that. Thus, personal motivation was the main driving force behind her decision to spend her ‘weekend’ in Armenia, albeit within the framework of an official visit.

5. You will have a newly-elected congressman from New Jersey. It’s Bob Menendez's son, Bob Menendez Jr.