Ilves: US midterm elections results shaping up to benefit Estonia
The results of Tuesday midterm elections in the U.S. where the Republicans failed to take a major victory contrary to forecasts constitutes a favorable outcome for Estonia, former President Toomas Hendrik Ilves said.
"U.S. midterm elections have usually seen the opposition enjoy considerable success. Only the 2002 midterms, following the September 11 attacks on the twin towers, did not turn out that way," Ilves told ERR on Wednesday.
"A major so-called red wave or Republican victory was forecast and feared this time, but it did not happen. The Republicans took the House with a very narrow margin, while the Senate results are not in yet," Ilves remarked. "What this means for U.S. politics is that isolationist forces, the radical right in the GOP did not achieve their anticipated victory," he added.
The former president said that the Republicans' more modest than expected victory spells success for the Democratic Party and forces that want the U.S. to play a bigger role in Europe.
"We could say that the Democrats came out on top, even though they did not [formally] win, that Putin lost and Ukraine gained because many Republicans' remarks on stopping or dialing back support for Ukraine will probably not manifest now," Ilves said.
"We could also say that Biden and his foreign policy won. To sum it all up – if Putin loses, Ukraine gains, which is a good outcome for Estonia's foreign policy."
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Editor: Marcus Turovski
