Republican support for cutting aid to Ukraine decreasing, poll shows

Support for cutting aid to Ukraine has decreased among Republican voters over the past five months, a new poll shows.

In a survey of GOP voters by public opinion research firm American Viewpoint, 41% of those surveyed said they would support cutting off additional aid to Ukraine, down from 58% in February.

Additionally, 81% said it is important for President Trump to spend time working to end the Russia-Ukraine war.

The poll results clash with the views of Mr. Trump’s most ardent “America First” supporters, who argue that it is not in America’s best interest to spend time and money on foreign wars. In particular, anti-Ukraine conservatives have argued that the country is corrupt and that Russia has legitimate security concerns about allowing NATO to expand so close to its border.

American Viewpoint pollsters suggest that Mr. Trump’s public dissatisfaction with Russian President Vladimir Putin has driven some of his supporters to back aid to Ukraine.

In the poll, 79% of Trump supporters disapproved of Mr. Putin’s job performance, up from 64% in February. What’s more, 72% said Mr. Putin is worsening efforts to end the war.

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DOCUMENT: American Viewpoint poll: National survey of Republicans

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About 84% said they support Mr. Trump’s plan to impose more sanctions on Russia.

Mr. Trump said this week that he will impose harsh tariffs and sanctions on Russia and those purchasing Russian oil if Moscow does not reach a deal on ending the war within 12 days.

Conservative commentator Tucker Carlson openly questioned the plan in his recent podcast with University of Chicago professor John Mearsheimer. The two argued that the move would be ineffective or increase tensions.

Overall, the poll found that most Republicans want the U.S. to take an active role in foreign policy. More than 90% said the world is safer when America “demonstrates its strength” to other nations.

American Viewpoint surveyed 1,000 Republican voters July 13-16 via phone conversations and text. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.