Two months after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, Americans strongly support the war-torn country, with a large, bipartisan majority backing increased sanctions against Russia, and most also support it. Military and humanitarian aid to Ukrainians, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll. Overall, 73 percent say the United States is doing either the right amount or too little to support Ukraine. At the same time, 72 percent oppose immediate US military action against Russian forces, while 21 percent support the idea. Even among those who say the United States is doing too little to support Ukraine, 57 percent oppose immediate military action, something President Biden said is out of the question, repeatedly warning that such a move could lead to in “World War III”. The findings suggest that Biden’s policies largely reflect American preferences when it comes to Russian invasion. Biden steadily increased military and humanitarian aid to Kyiv – asking Congress for another $ 33 billion in such funding on Thursday – while regularly tightening sanctions on Moscow. But he was also quick to stress that he would not send Americans to Ukraine or take any other action, such as enforcing a no-fly zone, which could lead to an immediate military confrontation with Russia. Despite widespread support for sanctions, they have created a political problem for Biden and other Democrats by helping to raise gas prices, and this dynamic is reflected in the poll. About 2 in 3 Americans, or 66 percent, say they are concerned about sanctions that contribute to higher food and energy costs at home. Stress is bipartisan, with 68 percent of Democrats and 70 percent of Republicans saying they are worried. Gas prices have averaged more than $ 4 a gallon since early March. But even among those who worry that sanctions are fueling inflation, 64% support their rise, as do 67% of Americans as a whole. Read the full Post-ABC poll results Biden has tried to prepare the nation for the economic pain of the Ukraine crisis by blaming Russian President Vladimir Putin and citing “Putin price increases” each time he talks about higher pump prices. “The cost of this battle is not cheap, but retreating to aggression will be more costly if we allow it to happen,” Biden said last week, calling for more help in Ukraine. “Either we support the Ukrainian people as they defend their country, or we stand by them as the Russians continue their atrocities and aggression in Ukraine.” Americans are deeply concerned about the escalation of the conflict, with 81% saying they fear the war will spread to other European countries, 80% worrying about US forces involved in the fighting and 80% worrying about the use nuclear weapons from Russia. Fifty percent say they are very concerned about nuclear weapons. Because people are worried about Russia’s nuclear weapons These concerns about the escalation of the crisis are also bipartisan. More than 8 in 10 Democrats and Republicans are worried about the war extending beyond Ukraine and US involvement in the fighting. The vast majority of both groups are also concerned about Russia’s use of nuclear weapons, although Democrats are slightly more concerned (86 percent) than Republicans (72 percent). Biden’s approval of the handling of the war in Ukraine – as well as his handling of the pandemic – helped boost his overall acceptance score, which rose five points from 37 percent in February to 42 percent in the new poll. However, Biden remains firmly in the negative, with 52 percent disapproving of his job performance amid persistent concerns about the economy. In particular, 42 percent of Americans approve of Biden’s handling of the situation between Russia and Ukraine, up from 33 percent when Russia began its invasion just over two months ago. Now, 47 percent of Americans disapprove of his handling of the crisis, the same percentage he disapproved of in February, and fewer people say they have no opinion. Biden’s approval of the handling of the war is largely partisan, with 73% of Democrats and 41% of independents approving it. Only 14 percent of Republicans approved of Biden’s handling of the war, with 76 percent disapproving. Read the poll results by subgroup In particular, Biden’s support for Ukraine and Russia has improved significantly with the Independents since February, when he approved 30 percent. While the latest Post-ABC poll did not measure Americans’ support for Ukraine, opinion polls in the weeks following the Russian invasion found a sharp rise in support for sanctions as well as negative views of Russia. A Pew Research Center poll, for example, found that 70 percent said Russia was an enemy, not a competitor or partner, up from 41 percent in January. Biden has repeatedly sought to support US involvement in the distant war, pointing out that he recognizes that support could be reduced if it lasts too long. “Throughout our history, we have learned that when dictators do not pay the price for their aggression, they cause more chaos and engage in more aggression,” Biden said last week. “Costs continue to move, and threats to America and the world continue to rise. “We can not allow this to happen.” Opinions about Ukraine remain remarkably stable across all party lines, including the Americans who voted for their opponents in the 2020 presidential election, making Ukraine a region of rare bipartisan agreement. Relatively few Republicans have strongly criticized Biden on the issue, especially compared to their regular attacks on him on inflation, crime, immigration and other issues. Of those who voted for Biden, 64 percent supported more military aid to Ukraine, as did 52 percent of those who voted for President Donald Trump. And 83 percent of Americans who voted for Biden support more humanitarian aid to Ukraine, as do 67 percent of Americans who voted for Trump. On Thursday, Biden called for a dramatic increase in aid to Ukraine, urging Congress to approve a new $ 33 billion package of military and humanitarian aid. The call for more help came at a time when the United States has decided, as Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin put it, that Ukraine “can win – they can win if they have the right equipment, the right support.” And it also comes as fighting shifts to the east of the country for what is expected to be a long delay. The Post-ABC poll finds that age is a much bigger source of division over US involvement in Ukraine. with younger Americans supporting less extra action. While 69 percent of people aged 65 and over support growing military support, that drops to 54 percent among adults aged 40-64 and 47 percent among adults under 40. Support for increasing military support is particularly low among younger adults who identify or are weak Republicans: 38 percent support strengthening military support for Ukraine, while 52 percent oppose it. The Post-ABC poll was conducted April 24-28 on a random national sample of 1,004 adults, targeting mobile and landline phones. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.5 percentage points for the overall results and is higher for the subgroups.
