Byron York
AMERICANS GROW TIRED OF SENDING MONEY TO UKRAINE. President Joe Biden has often said the United States will continue military aid to Ukraine "for as long as it takes" to win the war with Russia. On Jan. 25 of this year, for example, Biden said to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, "We're with you for as long as it takes." Last month, Biden said, "Our commitment to Ukraine will not weaken. We will stand for liberty and freedom today, tomorrow, and for as long as it takes." There are many other examples of the president saying the same thing.
But now, a year and a half into the war, it appears most Americans do not support Biden's indefinite commitment. A new CNN poll shows that a majority, 55%, say Congress "should not authorize additional funding to support Ukraine in the war with Russia." Another smaller majority, 51%, say the U.S. "has already done enough to stop Russian military actions in Ukraine."
The poll shows that most demographic groups oppose an indefinite commitment. No matter the race, sex, age, income, or whatever — majorities say Congress should not authorize additional funding for the war. The factor that does make a difference, of course, is political affiliation. Sixty-two percent of Democrats say Congress should authorize additional funding, while 55% of independents and 71% of Republicans say Congress should not authorize more money.
People who call themselves liberals (69%) support more funding, while people who call themselves centrists (56%) and conservatives (69%) oppose more funding. It is a war effort supported by liberals and opposed by everyone else.
The divisions are similar on the question of whether the U.S. has already done enough to stop Russian military actions in Ukraine. Sixty-one percent of Democrats say the U.S. should do more, while 56% of independents and 59% of Republicans say the U.S. has done enough. Most liberals want the U.S. to do more, while centrists and conservatives say the U.S. has already done enough.
These opinions do not mean Americans want the U.S. to do nothing to help Ukraine. The pollsters listed a number of options and found that a majority supports U.S. "assistance in intelligence gathering" for Ukrainian forces. A majority also supports "military training" for Ukrainian forces. But everything else — no majority. The pollsters asked whether people supported "weapons" or "U.S. military forces to participate in combat operations" or "another form of assistance" and found that none of those options had majority support.
On perhaps the biggest question of all, whether voters support "U.S. military forces to participate in combat operations," just 17% said yes. Huge, bipartisan majorities oppose such a move, as they have from the beginning of the war. Biden has pledged not to send U.S. forces to Ukraine, and there would be enormous opposition should he ever change that position.
All this is happening, of course, as the U.S. presidential campaign gets underway in earnest. Biden, for all the talk about Robert F. Kennedy Jr. or Cornel West, has no real competition, at least so far, in the Democratic race. Democrats who oppose ever-increasing Ukraine funding — and there are a lot of them, about a third of the party — have nowhere to go.
The Republican side is more diverse. The leader, former President Donald Trump, promises to resolve the conflict quickly upon taking office. He has not said how he would do it. The second-place candidate, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), has also been unclear about his position. Last week, DeSantis was asked the Ukraine question by Fox News's Bret Baier — what would you do? — and was remarkably vague in response:
We need a sustainable peace in Europe without rewarding Putin's aggression. We don't want this to be an issue for the next 10, 20, 30, 40 years. Well, how do you get there? The Europeans need to do their fair share. I think the fact that we have drawn down our ammunition to crisis levels, some of our weapons stocks, we have other contingencies we have to be worried about. So as president, I would prioritize the China threat first. I would have more resources and power in the Indo-Pacific. I would also deal with issues in our own hemisphere, starting with our border and some of the threats there. And then I'm willing to work with the Europeans. But I think the goal needs to be, you know, let's bring it to a sustainable conclusion. You know, I think the Europeans really need to take the lead will help to try to bring this in for a landing.
What does that mean? It's hard to tell. Other Republican candidates have been stronger in their support, among them Nikki Haley, Tim Scott, and Mike Pence. Chris Christie actually traveled to Ukraine this week to express his support.
Now, if the new poll numbers are correct, it is more clear than ever that the voters those candidates are trying to appeal to, both in the primary and, if they make it, in a general election, are very skeptical of continued high levels of aid to Ukraine. That is not a fringe position. It is the mainstream, majority view in the U.S.
For a deeper dive into many of the topics covered in the Daily Memo, please listen to my podcast, The Byron York Show — available on Radio America and the Ricochet Audio Network and everywhere else podcasts can be found.
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