Americans drastically shift opinion on aid to Ukraine after Trump’s actions

At the same time, the share of those who believe that the US is doing too much (30%) or too little (23%) for Ukraine has decreased.

Previously, the highest percentage of Americans who believed that the US was not doing enough to help Ukraine was 38%, recorded in Gallup’s first poll on this issue in August 2022. However, public opinion soon shifted following criticism from some Republican leaders regarding the amount of aid the US was providing to Ukraine for the war effort.

Now that President Donald Trump has returned to the White House, the picture has changed again, and the preference of Americans for greater US involvement significantly outweighs other opinions.

The latest results were obtained during a Gallup poll conducted from March 3 to 11, following a controversial February 28 Oval Office meeting between Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, which ended with Zelenskyy abruptly leaving the White House.

The meeting, which was supposed to discuss a potential deal regarding Ukraine’s mineral resources and lay the groundwork for a ceasefire with Russia, ultimately failed and led to the Trump administration suspending intelligence sharing and military aid to Ukraine on March 3. However, after Ukraine agreed to a 30-day temporary ceasefire on March 11, US aid and intelligence sharing resumed.

Support for aid to Ukraine in reclaiming its territories exceeds 50%

The poll also revealed a five-percentage-point increase in the share of Americans who believe that the U.S. should continue supporting Ukraine in reclaiming its territory, even if it requires prolonged involvement (53%), rather than ending the conflict as soon as possible, even if it means conceding territory to Russia (45%).

Opinions have shifted compared to December, when 50% wanted a quick end to the war - the highest recorded preference for this sentiment - while 48% supported continued involvement. Before that, a majority ranging from 55% to 66% supported aiding Ukraine in reclaiming its territory.

The Trump administration insists on ending the war as soon as possible, although it remains unclear whether this would mean Russia retains the territories it has claimed during the fighting since 2022.

The partisan gap in preferences regarding ending the war has reached a new high of 60 points: Republican support for ending the war as soon as possible remained at 77% since December, while Democratic support dropped by 13 points to 17%.

The majority of Democrats (82%) and independents (54%), but only 22% of Republicans, support continuing the war until Ukraine regains its lost territories.

Situation on battlefield

When it comes to which side is winning the war, the majority of Americans have consistently said that neither side is winning since June 2023, when Gallup first began asking this question, including 63% in the current poll. Another 26% of American adults say Russia is currently winning - the highest figure on record - while a steady 10% believe Ukraine is winning.

Earlier in the war, Americans were more likely to say that Ukraine was winning rather than Russia, but over the past year, opinions have shifted.

Americans are concerned that Russia to violate terms of agreement

The poll also measured Americans’ concerns about a potential peace deal and found that 79% of Americans are "very" or "somewhat" concerned that Russia will violate the terms of any peace agreement, including 52% who are very concerned.

Seven in ten American adults are also concerned that the deal will be too favorable to Russia. By contrast, there is far less concern that Ukraine will violate the agreement (26%) or receive terms that are too favorable (20%).

More than four in ten Americans (43%) are concerned that NATO will negotiate a deal without meaningful US involvement, which seemed possible after the Zelenskyy-Trump meeting at the White House but now appears less likely as Ukraine and the US have resumed negotiations.

Americans are ready to send weapons if Russia violates agreement

When asked what they would like the US to do if Russia violates the terms of an agreement, 64% of Americans said they would support sending additional weapons and military supplies to Ukraine. However, support for US airstrikes on Russian military targets in Ukraine (42%) or deploying US ground troops to support Ukraine (30%) is significantly lower.

Bottom line

Sociologists note that Americans' views on the Russia-Ukraine war have changed significantly over the past three months following Trump’s inauguration and the shift in US policy toward Ukraine. A new high - 46% of Americans, including the overwhelming majority of Democrats and nearly half of independents - now believe that the US is not doing enough to support Ukraine. Despite partisan divides, a narrow majority of Americans now support continued US involvement in helping Ukraine reclaim lost territories, reversing the 2022-2024 trend toward seeking a faster end to the war.

"Looking ahead, this increase in public preference for stronger US involvement may pressure the Trump administration to recalibrate its Ukraine policy, especially if Russia violates potential ceasefire agreements," Gallup reported.

According to the Kiel Institute, Western countries provide Ukraine with a small but stable level of aid, amounting to €80 billion per year.

Overall, Europe has clearly outpaced the US in aid to Ukraine, allocating €70 billion in financial and humanitarian assistance, as well as €62 billion in military aid. The US has allocated €64 billion in military aid, along with €50 billion in financial and humanitarian allocations.