Americans’ views about support for Ukraine in its war against Russia have shifted considerably, particularly among Republicans and independents, according to new polling by Gallup.
What You Need To Know
- Americans’ views about support for Ukraine in its war against Russia have shifted considerably, particularly among Republicans and independents, according to new polling by Gallup
- The poll released Thursday found that a plurality of Americans — 41% — believe the United States is doing too much to support Ukraine, while 33% say it is doing the right amount
- The national sentiment toward Ukraine has flipped since June, when 43% said the U.S. was doing the right amount and 29% said it was doing too much
- The Gallup poll found that a majority of Americans still believe the U.S. should support Ukraine in reclaiming its former territory even if it means a prolonged conflict, but that number, too, has waned
The poll released Thursday found that a plurality of Americans — 41% — believe the United States is doing too much to support Ukraine, while 33% say it is doing the right amount.
The national sentiment toward Ukraine has flipped since June, when 43% said the U.S. was doing the right amount and 29% said it was doing too much.
The percentage of people who say the U.S. is not doing enough — roughly a quarter of those surveyed — has stayed about the same since June, although it has fallen from 38% since Gallup first started asking the question in August 2022.
Republicans and independents are driving America’s changing views about Ukraine. Sixty-two percent of Republicans said they believe the U.S. is doing too much to help Kyiv, up from 43% in August 2022. And 44% of independents said Washington is doing too much, up 28%.
That sentiment is also increasing among Democrats, but just 14% currently think the U.S. is doing too much, the poll found.
The results are not surprising. Congressional Republicans have increasingly voiced their opposition to approving additional U.S. funding for Ukraine, while Democratic lawmakers have largely remained in Kyiv’s corner.
Last month, President Joe Biden requested Congress approve $61.4 billion in aid for Ukraine, adding to the nearly $70 billion it has already directed there, according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy.
New House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., gave some hope to the Biden administration Thursday when he told reporters Ukraine aid legislation “will come in short order,” although it’s unclear what dollar total Republicans will ultimately land on.
The Gallup poll found that a majority of Americans still believe the U.S. should support Ukraine in reclaiming its former territory even if it means a prolonged conflict. But that number, too, has waned, falling from 66% in August 2022 to 54% today. Forty-three percent say they favor the U.S. trying to help broker a quick end to the war even if it means Ukraine ceding territory to Russia, up from 31% in August 2022.
Sixty-one percent of Americans, including eight in 10 Republicans, say aid to Ukraine should have limits, while 37%, including roughly two-thirds of Democrats, believe the U.S. should continue to provide financial support to Ukraine as long as Kyiv requests it.
One question in which there was bipartisan agreement was about which side is winning the war. Sixty-four percent of those surveyed said no one is winning, with little difference among Democrats, Republicans and independents. However, among the others, Republicans were more likely to say Russia is winning, and Democrats were more likely to say Ukraine is succeeding.
In June, 43% of those surveyed said the U.S. was doing the right amount, 29% said it was doing too much and 26% said it was