Washington Post-ABC News Poll: Most Back Aid for Ukraine, Oppose Military Action

Most Americans support military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine, as well as keeping strong sanctions against Russia, but they do not want the United States to take direct military action in the ongoing hostilities between the two countries, a new Washington Post-ABC News poll shows.

In the poll, conducted from April 24-28 among a random sample of 1,004 adults and carrying a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points, 73% of the respondents said the United States is doing either the right amount or too little to support Ukraine, but 72% said they oppose direct military action against Russia, a move President Joe Biden has said is not on the table. 

Another 21% said they support the idea of military action, but even among people who said the United States is not doing enough in support of Ukraine, 57% said they do not approve of direct military action. 

In other findings in the poll, respondents from both sides say they're worried that sanctions could cause increases in energy and food costs in the United States, with 68% of Democrats and 70% of Republicans saying they are concerned. However, even among people who are worried about higher costs, 64% said they believe Russia should face higher sanctions, compared to 67% of those polled overall. 

Americans are also worried that the conflict between Russia and Ukraine will expand, including with U.S. forces becoming involved:

• 81% said they fear the war will include other European countries.
• 80% are worried that U.S. forces will get involved. 
• 80% are concerned that Russia will use nuclear weapons, with 50% saying they are "very concerned" about nuclear weapons. 
• More than 8 in 10 Democrats and Republicans worry that the war will expand past Ukraine. 
• 86% of Democrats and 72% of Republicans worry that Russia will use nuclear weapons. 

Biden's overall job approval ratings went up from 37% in February to 42% in the current poll, mainly over his handling of the war. However, his numbers are still negative, as 52% said they disapprove of his job performance overall:

• 47% of Americans disapprove of how Biden is handling the crisis, a number that is unchanged from February. 
• 73% of Democrats and 41% of independents approve of Biden's handling of the war. 
• 14% of Republicans approve; 76% disapprove. 

The views on Ukraine were stable between the parties, including between the people who voted for either Biden or former President Donald Trump in the 2020 race:

• 64% of Biden voters support more military aid for Ukraine, compared to 52% of Trump voters. 
• 83% of Biden supporters back more humanitarian aid for Ukraine, compared to 67% of Trump's voters. 

The poll also determined that opinions about U.S. military involvement in Ukraine were different based on age:

• 69% of people 65 and older support increasing military support, compared to 54% in people 40-64 and 47% in adults younger than 40. 
• 38% of younger adults who lean Republican support military support for Ukraine, with 52% opposed. 

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