Europe Still Sees Trump As Powerful, Especially in Foreign Policy

The commanding victory of the Democrats has brought private relief to some Europeans but no official glee, with Ukraine, Iran and NATO all hanging in the balance.

President Trump may be politically damaged by the midterms, but he remains an immensely powerful and unpredictable actor who has legacy on his mind.

In the wake of a stunning electoral defeat for his Republican Party, European governments have largely restrained from any official glee, recognizing that they must retain good relationships with Mr. Trump.

They do not know if a lame duck Mr. Trump will become an angry one. But they understand, officials and analysts said, that the new Congress will have only limited constraints on Mr. Trump's foreign policy. And they believe he wants to leave his mark not just on Washington, but on foreign affairs, where he has broad freedom of action.

In the short run, they expect him to push as best he can to resolve the conflicts in Iran and Ukraine and keep the pressure on Europe to take more responsibility for its own defense. They also assume that Mr. Trump will continue to focus on the Western Hemisphere, especially Venezuela and Cuba.

Looking ahead, European allies will want to reach out to the new faces in Congress to better understand a changing United States and to try to convince a new generation of politicians and business leaders that the trans-Atlantic relationship is adaptable and vital to America's long-term interests.

"Europeans need to try to keep the Trump administration engaged in Europe, so we don't want to add insult to injury" by lauding his defeat, said Wolfgang Ischinger, a former German ambassador to Washington and chairman of the Munich Security Conference. "Let the Americans celebrate. If we celebrate an opposition win, we're not doing our jobs."

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