Reported by NPR World
The White House is illuminated in Washington, Tuesday. Alex Brandon/AP hide caption
One color dominates international headlines about the U.S. midterm election results . French newspaper Libération called the Democrats' win " une vague bleue ," or blue wave, Britain's Daily Mail dubbed it a "historic blue tsunami," and The Times of India's headline ran "midterm blues for Trump."
Countries at war were also watching closely, with Ukrainian newspaper The Kyiv Independent's online headline hopeful : "Democrats seize control of Congress in blow to Trump, potential boost for Ukraine."
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Russia had a different take. Rossiyskaya Gazeta , the state-run daily newspaper, suggested the results would in fact be a blow to Ukraine, which has firm support from the European Union. "Brussels, brace yourself. After the Republicans' defeat, Trump's wrath will fall on Europe," read the headline.
In the Middle East, the Tehran Times put the Republicans' resounding defeat down to President Trump's decision to attack Iran earlier this year.
"The Iran war comes home to hit Trump at the ballot box," its headline read. The war, which Trump promised would be over quickly, has dragged on, sent oil prices soaring, and affected many Americans' daily lives with the affordability crisis.
And in Israel, which just held its own seismic elections last week, headlines focused on what the Democrats' victory means for the U.S. support of the Jewish state and its war in Gaza.
The Times of Israel ran a headline focusing on Democrat, and Muslim, candidate Abdul El-Sayed's triumph in the Michigan Senate race, saying "Anti-Israel El-Sayed wins Michigan Senate race, pledges no money for 'apartheid, genocide.'" The headline in Israel's other daily Haaretz read: "Abdul El-Sayed Shows Opposition to Israel Is No Barrier to Winning Battleground States."
Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed speaks at an election night event, early Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026, in Detroit. Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP hide caption
The Toronto Star in Canada, which is in the midst of a contentious trade war with the U.S., called the results a "rebuke" to Trump. Across the southern border in Mexico, El Universal newspaper's headline was similar, reading…