Poll: Most Americans Blame Putin for War, See Trump as Biased Toward Russia
The majority of Americans consider Russian President Vladimir Putin to be the main culprit behind the war in Ukraine and believe that Donald Trump is more sympathetic to Moscow than to Kyiv.
The Gaze reports on it, referring to the Chicago Council on Global Affairs-Ipsos opinion survey.
Since the beginning of his presidency, Donald Trump has changed the US approach to Russia and the war in Ukraine. He has actively declared his desire to end the conflict, while at the same time criticizing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy more often than the Russian leader in his public speeches. This rhetoric is explained by his intention to “bring the parties to the negotiating table,” but it is perceived ambiguously by society.
Despite Trump's diplomatic gestures, Americans' attitude toward Putin remains extremely negative. Nine out of ten citizens, regardless of party affiliation, disapprove of the Russian president. For 68%, he is associated with a very negative image, while another 22% rate him as somewhat negative. Only a meager 7% of respondents are willing to say that they have at least a partially positive attitude toward him.
Zelenskyy's reputation in the US has also changed. While 63% of Americans supported him last year, now it is only 53%. The biggest drop in popularity has been among Republicans: only 28% have a positive opinion of the Ukrainian leader, compared to twice as many a year ago. Despite this, Zelenskyy still retains the support of the majority of the public, albeit at a less confident level than before.
Most Americans believe that Donald Trump is more sympathetic to Russia than Ukraine (55% of respondents). Another 39% believe that the president treats both sides of the conflict equally. This opinion is particularly widespread among Democrats: eight out of ten are convinced that Trump is biased in favor of Moscow. Six out of ten independent voters share this view. Republicans, on the other hand, largely disagree with this assessment: three-quarters of them say that the White House is acting in a balanced and fair manner toward both sides.
Most Americans (86%) place the main responsibility for the war on Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Despite the Trump administration's use of aid suspension to Ukraine as leverage for peace talks, the public generally supports continued support for Kyiv: 66% support tougher sanctions against Russia, 60% support Ukraine's accession to NATO, 55% support economic aid, and 52% support the provision of weapons. At the same time, support for aid among Republicans has fallen to a record low of 30%, which has lowered the overall level of support, while among Democrats it has increased and among independents it has remained stable.
Read more in The Gaze: Diaspora Diplomacy: How Ukrainian Americans Strengthen U.S.-Ukraine Ties