Support slipping for indefinite U.S. aid to Ukraine, poll finds - The Washington Post

While enactment among the American nationalist for assistance to Ukraine remains robust, Republican backing for assistance to Ukraine has slipped since the spring, with 55 percent of Republicans saying they enactment sending subject aid, compared with 68 percent successful July and 80 percent successful March. Half of Republicans favored providing economical assistance to Ukraine past month, compared with astir three-quarters successful March, according to the Chicago Council’s findings.

The United States announced its latest tranche of subject assistance to Ukraine past period — the 25th since August 2021. The $400 cardinal bundle includes further arms, munitions and equipment, the Defense Department said, and brings full U.S. subject assistance to Ukraine to astir $20 cardinal since President Biden took office.

The United States is besides sending $53 cardinal to assistance repair Ukraine’s electrical systems, which person sustained important harm from Russian rocket strikes successful caller weeks.

With Russia’s warfare successful Ukraine successful its 10th month, and nary extremity successful sight, Americans are divided implicit whether Washington should impulse Ukraine to scope a bid colony with Russia imminently, the survey found. A plurality — 40 percent — said the United States should proceed its existent levels of enactment to Ukraine indefinitely. Fifty-three percent of Democrats favour this approach. In July, however, 58 percent of American respondents said the United States should assistance Ukraine for arsenic agelong arsenic it takes, adjacent if that meant higher state and nutrient prices for American consumers. Now, 47 percent accidental Washington should propulsion Kyiv to scope a bid colony soon.

A plurality of Republicans, however, would opt to gradually retreat U.S. enactment from Ukraine. Overall, 29 percent of respondents clasp this view, portion astir a 4th said the United States and its allies should intervene militarily to assistance Ukraine triumph the warfare quickly.

Ukraine launched a large counteroffensive this fall, recapturing the northeastern Kharkiv portion and forcing Russia to retreat from the confederate metropolis of Kherson. Kyiv has vowed to property connected with its counteroffensive, with the stated extremity of returning each territory captured by Russia — including eastbound Ukraine and Crimea, which Russia seized successful 2014 — to Ukrainian control. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has accused Ukraine of refusing to negociate but suggested that Russia volition not budge from its request for planetary designation of the Ukrainian territories it claims to person annexed.

But obstacles endanger to dilatory the Ukrainian advance, and Russian positions are entrenched on a beforehand enactment stretching hundreds of miles done confederate and eastbound Ukraine. Americans held differing perceptions of which broadside has the precocious hand, the Chicago Council survey found. Around a 3rd of Democrats accidental Ukraine has the advantage, compared with 23 percent of Republicans and 22 percent of independents. Overall, 46 percent of respondents deliberation neither Ukraine nor Russia has the advantage.

“If radical deliberation that Ukraine has the precocious hand, they’re overmuch much supportive of continuing assistance to Ukraine,” said Dina Smeltz, 1 of the researchers.

In October, Group of Seven leaders formally endorsed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s presumption for a bid deal, which would necessitate Russia to retreat from each illegally occupied Ukrainian sovereign territory.

Last week, Biden said helium is prepared to conscionable with Russian President Vladimir Putin if Putin indicates helium is funny successful ending the war. “He hasn’t done that yet,” Biden told reporters astatine associated quality league with French President Emmanuel Macron successful Washington. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, meanwhile, has promised to support helping Ukraine execute its battlefield aims.

“We person been precise wide that the United States and countries astir the satellite volition ne'er — never, never, ne'er — admit territory that Russia has illegally annexed,” State Department spokesperson Ned Price said astatine a quality league Friday.

But Gen. Mark A. Milley, president of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, suggested to reporters past period that the infinitesimal could beryllium approaching for Ukraine to negotiate. He suggested to reporters that it was unrealistic to deliberation Ukraine could recapture the 20 percent of its onshore occupied by Russia.

With Republicans soon to instrumentality power of the House of Representatives, ushering successful an epoch of divided government, proposals for further assistance to Ukraine could look much resistance. Ahead of the midterm elections past month, immoderate Republican candidates campaigned connected ending fiscal enactment for Ukraine. Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), the Republican nominee to beryllium the adjacent House Speaker, has said Republicans volition not constitute a “blank check” for Ukraine.

Isabelle Khurshudyan, Paul Sonne, Liz Sly and Scott Clement contributed to this report.