The American Public’s Support for Ukraine Is Not Wavering - Horowitz
Tuesday, September 20, 2022
With the Russia-Ukraine war now passed the 200-day mark with no end in sight, the American public remains strongly behind the US policy of providing significant military and logistical support to the Ukrainians. In a Gallup Poll conducted just before the recent successful Ukrainian counteroffensive, 2-out-of-3 Americans support “Ukraine reclaiming lost territory from Russia, even if it means a prolonged war," while less than 1-out-of-3 Americans favor ending “the conflict quickly, even if it allows Russia to keep its territory."
Not surprisingly, Democrats are the most supportive of backing Ukraine for the long-term with nearly 4-in-5 in favor of supporting Ukraine reclaiming territory, even if it results in a prolonged war, as compared with a narrow majority of Republicans. Still, in this polarized political environment where partisans’ opinions strongly diverge on many key issues, the across-the-board support for our policy in Ukraine is refreshing. The solid public support for aiding Ukraine, despite the spike in gas and food prices that were in large measure a result of the war, is one of the main reasons that there has been no loss of backing in Congress for sending more advanced weaponry and billions of dollars of additional aid.
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This public support is further evidenced by the fact that when asked about the United States’ current level of support for Ukraine, nearly 3-in-4 Americans say we are “doing the right amount or not enough,” while less than 1-in-4 Americans say we are “doing too much,” according to Gallup.
The backing of the American public has likely grown even stronger in the wake of the successful Ukrainian counter-offensive in which the embattled nation reclaimed several thousand miles of territory from the Russians. This recent success was one of the reasons that President Putin’s recent diplomatic efforts fell flat. He did not get what he wanted from either India or China, usually two relatively reliable allies. Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi criticized Putin’s invasion of Ukraine as the two leaders met publicly, and Xi Jinping, president of China, continued to distance himself from the invasion.
The continued steadfastness, courage and fighting skill of the Ukrainians have ensured that the Biden administration's continuing infusion of advanced weaponry, provision of state-of-the-art strategic military advice, and marshaling of NATO has paid dividends. At a time when democracy is under threat at home and abroad, Ukraine stands out as a shining example of an admittedly imperfect democracy standing up against the completely unjustified invasion of an authoritarian ruler who believes that he can simply take other countries by force if he so chooses.
As winter nears, we are likely to be faced with an increase in heating costs and perhaps another spike in gasoline prices, stemming from this war. I still expect that support from the American public for our efforts in Ukraine will not waver. The stakes are too high—and in this case, a substantial majority of the American public grasp them.
Rob Horowitz is a strategic and communications consultant who provides general consulting, public relations, direct mail services and polling for national and state issue organizations, various non-profits, businesses, and elected officials and candidates. He is an Adjunct Professor of Political Science at the University of Rhode Island.