Context:
A day after the heated exchange at the Oval Office between President Donald Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, protests for Ukraine erupted across numerous cities in the U.S. Meanwhile, a survey by the PEW Research Center highlights an increasing partisan divide regarding U.S. aid to Ukraine and NATO issues.
Moulding Attitudes on U.S. Support for Ukraine
- Now, more Americans think the U.S. is giving too much aid (30%, up from 27% immediately prior to the November elections).
- 22% feel the U.S. is not providing enough, a 4% increase since the elections.
- While 23% believed the U.S. was providing the right amount of aid, acceptability of this view is waning across all political affiliations.
Party Split (Chart 1 and 2)
- 50% of Republicans are in the opinion that the U.S. is giving too much support to Ukraine, whereas fewer than 15% of Democrats concur.
- The share of Democrats who perceive aid to Ukraine as “just right” has dropped dramatically (by 12 points), whereas Republicans only saw a minor 3 point drop.
Concerns Based on National Security
- 39% of Americans maintain that aiding Ukraine benefits U.S. national security; 27% contend it has no impact at all.
- Partisan Split (Chart 3):
- Democrats are universally in favor of considering Ukraine aid beneficial to U.S. security, particularly those 65 and older.
- Republicans, especially young Republicans, are relatively more inclined to say that it harms national security.
NATO Membership of the U.S.: Eroding Faith
- 63% of Americans think NATO helps the U.S., down from 66% in 2024 (Chart 4).
- Partisan Split
- 82% of Democrats support NATO membership, whereas only 47% of Republicans agree.
- The majority of Republicans now think that the U.S. doesn’t benefit much from NATO, if at all.
Decreasing Support for Additional European Defense Spending
- A smaller share of Americans (39%) now believes that European allies ought to increase their defense spending, down from 47% in 2024 (Chart 5).
A deepening partisan divide over aid to Ukraine, NATO and national security means that greater challenges could loom for U.S. foreign policy in the future. With the Trump administration signaling a shift in priorities, the role of the U.S. in general security alliances continues to remain controversial.
Source: TH
