New Delhi: As the Russian war in Ukraine enters its tenth month with no end in sight, a new survey by a US thinktank has found that Americans are “divided” over their country’s support for Kyiv.
According to a poll conducted by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, 47 per cent of the US public thinks that Washington should urge Ukraine to reach for a peace settlement with Russia as soon as possible, while 48 per cent said that the United States should help Kyiv for “as long as it takes”.
This comes after the US announced its latest $400 million defence assistance to Ukraine last month to counter Russia’s aggression, including from the “Kremlin’s relentless attacks on Ukraine’s critical energy infrastructure”.
Regarding the US’s current policies on the Russia-Ukraine scenario, a majority were in support — 65 per cent wanted supply of arms to Ukraine to continue, 66 per cent were for economic aid, 73 per cent for refugee acceptance, and 75 per cent for Russian sanctions.
The survey assessed American public opinion on key tenets of the war that has shaken the foundation of modern geopolitics. The findings situate the US as a largely grey space, with no overwhelming majorities for any side.
The American people are not convinced. An equal percentage of them — 26 per cent for Russia and 26 per cent for Ukraine — say who has the advantage in the ongoing conflict. But most Americans, 46 per cent, believe that neither party has an advantage.
There are also hints as to where these opinions stem from. Those who get their news from Fox News, a more right-wing channel, were less likely to say that Ukraine has the advantage. Whereas those who get news from a varied range of sources, like MSNBC, NBC, public television and CNN were more likely to lean in Ukraine’s favour.
A divide dictated by party lines, 53 per cent of democrats wanted the current levels of support for Ukraine to continue indefinitely. Republicans tended to prefer to gradually withdraw US support. Republican support for aid has declined considerably over the course of the year.
In totality, Democrats and Republicans included, 48 per cent of Americans say support should continue, even if Americans need to pay higher gas and food prices and consequences. This is a number that has reduced since July when it was at 58 per cent.
Lastly, the study alluded to the role public perception and patterns of media consumption play.
“The influence of perceptions of which side is being successful on the battlefield illustrates the important role that media spin can play in affecting public views about the situation on the ground and, in turn, on continued backing for US support to Ukraine,” it said.
In November, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg pointed to signs which indicated “Russia is failing on the battlefield,” given the success of Ukrainian counteroffensives, which have included the removal of Russian troops from Kherson.
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