Americans have mixed feelings on how Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is affecting U.S. national security, while four in ten say peace should be negotiated, a Rasmussen Reports survey released Wednesday found.
Across the board, 50 percent of likely voters said the Russian invasion of Ukraine has made U.S. national security worse, compared to 28 percent who said it “hasn’t made much difference” and 14 percent who said “better.” While most Republicans (65 percent) and independents (51 percent) said it has made U.S. national security worse, just a plurality of Democrats, 36 percent, agree.
The survey asked respondents what would be better for American interests: “Ukraine keeps fighting until the Russian invasion is completely defeated” or “Ukraine negotiates for peace with Russia.”
Opinions were relatively split, as 46 percent said Ukraine should keep fighting until Russia is defeated, but 41 percent believe negotiating for peace is the way.
Notably, a plurality of Republicans, 48 percent, believe Ukraine negotiating peace is the best for U.S. interests, while most Democrats (52 percent) and a plurality of independents (42 percent) believe Ukraine should keep fighting.
The survey also found most, 56 percent, rating Biden’s handling of national security issues as either fair or poor. Of those, 44 percent rate his handling as poor. More per Rasmussen Reports:
Forty-two percent (42%) of Likely Voters now rate Biden as doing a good or excellent job in handling national security issues – up from 38% last September – while 44% give Biden a poor rating on national security.
While 72% of Democrats give Biden a good or excellent rating on national security, only 17% of Republicans and 33% of unaffiliated voters share that view. Seventy-one percent (71%) of Republicans rate Biden poor on national security, as do 17% of Democrats and 47% of unaffiliated voters.
The survey was taken March 14-16, 2023, among 972 likely voters and has a +/- 3 percent margin of error. It coincides with a Morning Consult poll released this week, which found that a plurality of Republicans do not consider Ukraine to be a “vital” U.S. interest. The position stands in contrast to that of former Vice President Mike Pence, who recently articulated a hawkish stance during an appearance on Breitbart News Saturday.
“Let me be clear, what’s going on in Ukraine today is not a territorial dispute. It’s a Russian invasion,” Pence began, seemingly dismissing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s opinion on the matter, as the governor said it is not a “vital” U.S. interest.
“This is a moment where the arsenal of democracy needs to be standing with those freedom fighters in Ukraine, giving them the resources that they need to repel the Russian invasion,” Pence said.
“It’s clear his ambition is to reestablish what was the old Soviet sphere of influence in Eastern Europe, and that’s why we need to put our foot down,” he added.
That same Morning Consult survey showed Ukraine ranking “near the bottom” of the 2024 issue-priority list:
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine ranks near the bottom of the 2024 issue-priority list for both GOP base voters and the broader U.S. electorate, according to our recent survey. https://t.co/AXfxTqhCMY pic.twitter.com/8CU0kc8zOh
— Morning Consult (@MorningConsult) March 21, 2023
