A recent survey by the Pew Research Center reveals a significant shift in American attitudes towards US aid to Ukraine, underscoring a deepening partisan divide. Conducted from 27 November to 3 December 2023, the survey involved 5,203 respondents from the Center’s American Trends Panel.
Approximately 31% of Americans believe the US is overextending its support to Ukraine, a notable increase from earlier in the war. This sentiment is particularly strong among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, with 48% expressing the view that US aid to Ukraine is excessive. This figure reflects a modest rise from 44% in June and a significant jump from the initial stages of the war.
In contrast, only 16% of Democrats and Democratic leaners consider the current US aid level as excessive. Around 39% of Democrats believe the aid is appropriate, and about a quarter perceive it as insufficient. This stark partisan difference marks a considerable shift from the war’s onset when Republicans were only marginally more likely than Democrats (9% vs. 5%) to deem US assistance to Ukraine as excessive. The current gap stands at 32 percentage points.
Public engagement with the Russo-Ukrainian war remains stable, with around 60% of Americans, including similar proportions of Republicans and Democrats, following the invasion news closely.
When assessing the threat level of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to US interests, opinions are divided. A third of Americans view it as a major threat, closely mirroring the 34% who see it as a minor threat. Only 10% believe it poses no danger. These perceptions have slightly shifted since June but represent a notable change from March 2022, when half of the Americans considered it a major threat. Democrats are more inclined than Republicans to view the invasion as a major threat (40% vs. 27%), though the concern in both parties has decreased since the early days of the war in March 2022.
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