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US Capitol building.
New polling data has found that the majority of Americans now oppose Congress sending more support for Ukraine. As of mid-July, the US has sent the country upwards of $75 billion in aid.
The CNN/SSRS poll showed that a narrow majority – 55% of Americans – oppose Congress sending more cash to Ukraine, and that half of Americans think the US has already “done enough” to help the country fend off Russian aggression. In the days right after Russia’s February 2022 invasion, by comparison, nearly two-thirds of Americans favored giving more help to Ukraine.
The near 50-50 split in responses falls down partisan lines, with about 60% of Republicans seeing US support as sufficient, while a similar cut of Democrats believe Washington should still do more. A majority of Independents tended toward the Republican view.
Still, when asked separately what kind of assistance the US should provide to Ukraine, two-thirds of Americans favored intelligence support and a slim majority preferred training Ukrainian troops. Only 43% supported more weapons for Kyiv.
These numbers, coupled with grim accounts of Ukraine’s counteroffensive, could complicate President Joe Biden's ability to push Congress to approve more aid, especially since the poll also reported that 53% of Americans disapprove of how Biden has handled the war.
Meanwhile, on the Republican side, many 2024 presidential hopefuls are running campaigns against the US supporting Ukraine. At the Family Leadership Summit – an important Republican campaign event – Tucker Carlson presided over a discussion on candidates’ views on the war, revealing the stark divide between hawkish Republicans, like Mike Pence, who believe it's the US’ duty to support Ukraine, and candidates who are more concerned with domestic issues than funding a foreign war.
Both the leading candidates – former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis – have criticized the amount of aid the US is giving to Ukraine, making it very likely that this becomes the Republican Party stance in the 2024 election – and that Ukraine could lose one of its biggest supporters if the GOP captures the White House.
In the near term, Biden is buoyed by strong Democratic support for the war and is not facing pressure from his party to change course. But this poll suggests that Ukraine aid is likely to become an increasingly contentious issue in Congress.