A new exclusive poll from The Economist/YouGov paints a picture of a deeply divided America, with a majority of citizens believing the country is on the wrong track and calling for a broader international effort to end the war in Ukraine.
The poll, conducted from August 15-18, is particularly significant as its findings were released in the midst of a historic White House summit on the conflict.
The Public Calls for a Broader International Effort
The poll found that 54 percent of Americans believe that leaders of other major European countries should be involved in negotiations to end the conflict. This finding suggests a public desire for a more unified, multilateral front to address the war and indicates a lack of confidence in a singular US or bilateral approach. In addition, 46 percent of Americans believe the their country should be involved in peace negotiations.
The survey also asked who Americans would blame for a failure of peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.
The results show that 42 percent would blame Russian President Vladimir Putin, while only one in ten would blame President Volodymyr Zelensky.
An additional 11 percent would blame President Donald Trump, and 17 percent would blame all of the leaders equally.
Summit Seeks to Forge a Path to Peace
The poll’s release coincided with a major diplomatic event at the White House. On Monday, August 18, President Trump hosted a summit with Zelensky and key European allies to discuss the conflict. The meeting came just days after a separate summit between US President Donald Trump and the Kremlin leader in Alaska.
The discussions in Washington focused on establishing security guarantees for Ukraine to deter future aggression, given that Trump has ruled out the country’s NATO membership. Trump also began making arrangements for a potential future meeting between himself, Putin and Zelensky.
Strong Opposition to Land Concessions
The poll also shows strong opposition to Russia receiving Ukrainian territory at the end of the war. When asked how much of Ukraine’s territory they want Russia to have, 68 percent of Americans said “none of it.”
This overwhelming opposition to land concessions runs counter to a separate finding in the same poll that 38 percent of Americans believe Russia will ultimately control “some of” Ukraine’s territory.
Furthermore, 30 percent of Americans believe Russia is more likely to win the conflict, while only 15 percent believe Ukraine is more likely to win. The poll also found that 66 percent of Americans sympathize more with Ukraine over Russia.
Americans Divided on Military Aid
The survey also found that Americans are divided on the issue of military aid to Ukraine.
32percent of Americans favor increasing military aid, and 21 percent favor maintaining the current amount. In contrast, 11percent favor decreasing aid, and 15 percent favor stopping all military aid to Ukraine.
Differing Views on Leaders
The poll also revealed stark differences in public opinion on the leaders of the two warring nations.
When asked about their favorability toward Zelensky, 46 percent of Americans expressed a favorable opinion (18 percent very favorable, 28 percent somewhat favorable), while one quarter of them held an unfavorable view (11 percent somewhat unfavorable, 14 percent very unfavorable).
In contrast, a significant majority of Americans, 82 percent, hold an unfavorable opinion of Putin (17 percent somewhat unfavorable, 65 percent very unfavorable). Only 8 percent have a favorable view.
Similarly, 72 percent disapprove of Putin’s leadership abilities, with fewer than a tenth of them approving.