Story Highlights
- Two in three Americans support Ukraine in reclaiming territory
- 31% favor conflict ending quickly, even if Ukrainian territory is lost
- Sharp partisan differences in willingness to risk a lengthy conflict
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- As the Russia-Ukraine war rages on, a clear majority of Americans would rather see the U.S. support Ukraine in reclaiming lost territory from Russia, even if it means a prolonged war, than see a quick end to the conflict, even if it means ceding territory to Russia.
These results are from a Gallup web survey conducted Aug. 1-22, shortly before a Ukrainian counteroffensive forced Russian troops to retreat from northeastern Ukraine.
Nearly four in five Democrats, the most of any major U.S. subgroup, want the U.S. to support Ukraine in reclaiming territory. While half of Republicans agree, nearly as many Republicans (46%) would rather see a quick end to the conflict.
Americans' views on the Russia-Ukraine conflict also differ by age and education:
- Adults aged 65 and older are more likely than younger adults to favor Ukraine's effort to reclaim territory despite a prolonged conflict.
- Support for Ukraine generally increases with education, rising from 59% of those with no college experience to 74% of those with a postgraduate education.
More Say U.S. Not Doing Enough Than Doing Too Much
A mixed picture emerges when Americans are asked to assess the United States' current level of support for Ukraine. The public is about equally likely to say the U.S. is not doing enough for Ukraine (38%) as to say it is doing the right amount (36%), while 24% say the U.S. is currently doing too much.
Democrats (46%) and Americans with a postgraduate education (46%) are the groups most likely to say the U.S. is shortchanging Ukraine. This contrasts with 30% of Republicans and 31% of adults with no college education.
The partisan gap is even wider with respect to perceptions that the U.S. is doing too much. This view is held by 43% of Republicans and 28% of independents versus just 9% of Democrats.
Bottom Line
Even before the Ukrainian military's recent success over Russian forces in Kharkiv, Americans favored backing Ukraine's ambition to reclaim its territory. But Americans' desire to provide assistance is somewhat tempered. While 38% think the U.S. is not doing enough to help Ukraine, 36% say it is doing the right amount, perhaps validating the Biden administration's tendency to stay the course rather than heed conservative demands to dial back U.S. involvement in the conflict or hawkish calls to provide more military aid and materiel.
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