UMD Critical Issues Poll: American Support for Ukraine Remains Strong

Despite rising interest rates and other inflation-related aches, a new University of Maryland Critical Issues Poll finds American support for Ukraine is holding steady.

Fifty-seven percent of the 1,029 respondents contacted Oct. 7-10 reported that they were prepared to accept rising prices as the United States helps Ukraine fend off the Russian invasion, compared to 58% of June respondents who said the same.

Similarly, 60% of October respondents said they were prepared to pay more for energy as a result of the United States’ support, down 2% from those who said the same in June.

“It is striking that we found no sign of fatigue for supporting Ukraine, despite high energy costs and rising inflation, including among Republicans. This may be partly due to the substantial increase in the number of respondents who say Ukraine is succeeding—and Russia is failing—compared to June,” said Shibley Telhami, the Anwar Sadat Professor for Peace and Development, who co-directs the poll with fellow government and politics Professor Stella Rouse, director of the Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement.

As Telhami noted in an analysis in The Washington Post, most Americans remain averse to paying a price in the lives of American troops. However, there the percentage of those who said they are willing to do so rose from 32% in June to 38% in October.

The question related to who is winning the war reflected the largest shift in thinking. Almost half of all Americans surveyed in October (48%) said Russia is failing, whereas 29% of Americans answered the same in June. Relatedly, 43% of October respondents said Ukraine is succeeding, compared to 27% in June.