US divided over aid to Ukraine: What Trump voters want
Photo: Trump voters against aid to Ukraine (Getty Images)
The division between the two major US political parties over foreign policy has deepened significantly. Republican voters are increasingly opposing aid to Ukraine, free trade, and international commitments, The Wall Street Journal reports.
According to a survey, 49% of all voters supported continuing aid to Ukraine, while 44% opposed it.
Among Democrats, 83% supported continued financial aid to Ukraine for its defense against Russia, whereas 79% of Republicans were against it.
Throughout 2023 and 2024, surveys showed that Democrats more frequently called for the US to do more to support Ukraine, while Republicans argued that the US was already doing too much.
These views align with the positions of the party leaders. Former President Joe Biden and the Democrats have strongly supported Ukraine's defense, often stating that the US would help "as long as necessary."
Since taking office, Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and their allies began to show less interest in the difficult situation in Kyiv. Instead of providing more support for Ukraine's defense, they have suggested acting as mediators for peace talks with Russia.
Growing divide between Democrats and Republicans
The divide has grown as Republicans have adopted an increasingly isolationist view of America's role in the world, while Democrats continue to support international alliances.
For example, 62% of voters considered Trump's ideas about territorial expansion - such as including Greenland and Canada - as a bad idea, with only 25% supporting it.
Among Republicans, 51% viewed Trump's territorial comments positively, while 28% thought they were a bad idea.
Another example of the differences between the parties: 81% of Democrats supported NATO, compared to 31% of Republicans.
Republican skepticism about free trade also emerged when voters were asked whether tariffs helped or hurt the US economy. About 77% of Republicans believed tariffs helped create jobs and were beneficial, while 93% of Democrats argued that they raised prices and were mostly negative.
A slight majority of Americans supported cutting foreign aid, with 51% opposed to 45%. This, too, sharply divided along party lines: 92% of Republicans supported cuts, while 85% of Democrats opposed them.
The findings follow Trump and Elon Musk, who has led the administration's budget-cutting efforts, slashing the US Agency for International Development (USAID). In recent years, the US has spent about 1% of its federal budget on foreign aid.
The Wall Street Journal poll of 1,500 registered voters was conducted by telephone from March 27 to April 1. The sample margin of error was plus or minus 2.5 percentage points.
According to a Gallup poll, in March 46% of Americans believed that the US was not doing enough to help Ukraine. That's up 16 percentage points from December and a new high since 2022.
