Most in US oppose Russia invading Ukraine — and American military action, polls show
Most Americans view Russia’s invasion of neighboring Ukraine as “unjustified” and favor further U.S. efforts to stop Russian forces — but most oppose the U.S. doing so by taking military action, new polls show.
At least 677,000 Ukrainians have fled their homes to seek refuge in bordering nations as Russia continues its attack, according to the United Nations, The Associated Press reported. Russian forces fired a missile in Ukraine’s capital Kyiv on Tuesday, March 1, hitting its TV tower and knocking out several channels.
“The U.S. support for Ukraine remains unfaltering,” wrote Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine’s minister of foreign affairs, on Monday, Feb. 28, about his call with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
“I underscored that Ukraine craves for peace, but as long as we are under Russia’s assault we need more sanctions and weapons. Secretary assured me of both.”
About 74% of Americans believe Russian President Vladimir Putin’s move to send Russian troops to invade Ukraine isn’t justified, according to a Yahoo News/YouGov poll. Meanwhile, 6% say it was justified, while 20% of respondents are unsure.
Even more Americans, 82%, answered that Russia shouldn’t be allowed to invade its neighbors. Four percent said they should be allowed, and 14% were unsure. This poll was conducted on Feb. 24, when Russia launched its invasion, through Feb. 27 and surveyed 1,532 U.S. adults.
Most in the U.S., 62%, believe U.S. leaders should do more to stop Russia’s military attack on Ukraine, according to a CNN poll of 1,001 Americans surveyed on Feb. 25 and 26. The margin of error is plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.
“If economic sanctions do not stop Russian military actions in Ukraine,” the majority of Americans, 58%, oppose the U.S. using military action to stop Russia, the CNN poll found. However, 42% are in favor of U.S. military actions.
More poll findings
When asked how the U.S. should respond to the invasion, half of Americans, 50%, support the U.S. implementing severe economic sanctions on Russia, the Yahoo News/YouGov poll found.
Meanwhile, 38% said they would support sending weapons to Ukraine and 28% said they would support continuing diplomacy with Russia. Twenty-three percent said they’d support sending U.S. troops to the region but not Ukraine, while 19% said they’d support U.S. troops being sent to the area, including Ukraine.
Most Americans surveyed in the CNN poll, 71%, believe that the impact on U.S. gas prices should be a factor for U.S. leaders deciding their policy on Russia. Twenty-nine percent say it shouldn’t be a factor.
Since the U.S. is in NATO, the U.S. is obligated to get involved if Russia attacks a NATO country. Ukraine is not part of NATO.
In the Yahoo News/YouGov poll, Americans were asked how the U.S. should act if Russia invades a NATO member. Here’s what they said:
13% said economic sanctions
7% said military force
49% said economic sanctions and military force
6% said neither sanctions nor military force
24% unsure
When it comes to trusting President Joe Biden’s decision-making regarding the Russia and Ukraine conflict, 58% answered in the CNN survey that they don’t trust the president much or at all. Forty-two percent answered they trust Biden a great deal or moderately in regard to the Russian invasion.
An AP-NORC poll found that only 26% of Americans think the U.S. should have a major role in the conflict. Fifty-two percent believe the U.S. should have a minor role, and 20% believe the U.S. should have no role.
This poll was conducted Feb. 18-21, shortly before the Russian invasion began. The poll surveyed 1,289 adults and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.7 percentage points.
Ultimately, the situation in Ukraine has gripped most of the U.S. as well as the world. The CNN poll found 79% of Americans are following the news of the conflict closely.
“We are continuing our support for the Ukrainian people as they defend their country and affirmed our readiness to keep imposing severe costs on Russia if they do not de-escalate,” Biden wrote Feb. 28 on Twitter.
This story was originally published March 1, 2022 at 1:15 PM with the headline "Most in US oppose Russia invading Ukraine — and American military action, polls show."
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