How Do Americans and Russians View the War in Ukraine?

With Corporation support, the Chicago Council on Global Affairs has published a series of reports providing insight into American and Russian public opinion on the war in Ukraine

By Carnegie Corporation of New York March 22, 2023

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On December 24, 2022, people stand in line to receive bread at a humanitarian aid distribution point in Kramatorsk, Ukraine. (Credit: Andriy Andriyenko/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

The United States has directed more than $75 billion in assistance to Ukraine since Russia invaded the country in February 2022.

What do Americans and Russians, respectively, think about the war? The Chicago Council on Global Affairs, with support from Carnegie Corporation of New York, conducted public opinion surveys from November 24–30, 2022, in both Russia and the United States, to assess American and Russian public opinion nearly a year after the war began.

The findings follow insights from a Corporation-supported Chicago Council survey that found Americans willing to support Ukraine for “as long as it takes” as of summer 2022.

Findings from the U.S. survey, Growing U.S. Divide on How Long to Support Ukraine, reveal deepening partisan divisions on support for economic and military aid to Ukraine. Democrats, and those who see Ukraine as having the advantage, are more likely to support aid to Ukraine and a prolonged extension of American assistance. Republicans, and those who see Russia as having the advantage, are less likely to support that aid and more likely to believe that the U.S. should withdraw support sooner.

Some key findings of American views on the Ukraine war:

An equal percentage of Americans say Russia (26 percent) and Ukraine (26 percent) has the advantage in the current conflict. But a plurality (46 percent) believes that neither country has the advantage.
Solid majorities of Americans continue to support supplying Ukraine with arms (65 percent) and economic aid (66 percent), accepting Ukrainian refugees (73 percent), and sanctioning Russia (75 percent).
A plurality believes the United States should maintain its current level of support for Ukraine indefinitely (40 percent). Nearly a third say that the United States should intervene militarily to tip the advantage to Ukraine and end the war as soon as possible (27 percent) and nearly another third say that the United States should gradually withdraw support for Ukraine (29 percent).
Separately, Americans are now closely divided on whether Washington should support Ukraine “as long as it takes” (48 percent, down from 58 percent in July 2022) or whether Washington should urge Ukraine to settle for peace as soon as possible (47 percent, up from 38 percent in July).

The Russian surveys, Few Russians Are Anxious about Western Sanctions, Many Russians Support Negotiating End to Ukraine War but Not Letting Territory Go and Most Russians Oppose Using Nuclear Weapons in Ukraine, were conducted in partnership with the Moscow-based Levada Center. The data reveal that while a narrow majority of Russians think their government should start peace negotiations (53 percent), returning any territory to Ukraine as concessions in a negotiation would be overwhelmingly unacceptable to the public. Most of the Russian public also opposes any use of nuclear weapons by Moscow.

Some other key findings of Russian views on the Ukraine war:

Three-quarters of Russians actively or passively support the Russian military operation in Ukraine (74 percent).
Most Russians are unsure of the benefits of ongoing military action and what benefits it might bring to the country. Fifty-six percent think the action will worsen Russia’s relations with the West, and 50 percent believe it will worsen the economic welfare of Russians.
A narrow majority (53 percent) of Russians think the operation in Ukraine has been successful, compared to those who view it as unsuccessful (31 percent).
Russians think their government should start peace negotiations (53 percent) rather than continue the special military operation (41 percent).
When Russians are reminded of the costs associated with the war, they express a support for negotiations. Russians prefer peace negotiations over continued fighting that would result in the deaths of more Russian soldiers (62 percent vs. 31 percent) or higher prices for Russian households (53 percent vs. 41 percent).
Despite some support for negotiations, the territorial concessions that Russia would likely be asked to make are unpopular. Solid majorities say it is unacceptable for Russia to return Crimea (78 percent) or the occupied Donbas region to Ukraine (66 percent).
Only about two in 10 Russians say the Western sanctions have caused serious problems for their household (18 percent). An additional 27 percent report that sanctions have created some problems but not serious ones. A narrow majority of Russians say that sanctions have not created problems for them or their families (53 percent).
Six in 10 Russians are somewhat (30 percent) or very unconcerned (30 percent) about Western political and economic sanctions on Russia, while only four in 10 are somewhat (20 percent) or very (19 percent) concerned.
Russians who have faced problems as a result of sanctions are more likely than those who have not to say that the government should enter peace negotiations, but very few Russians volunteer that sanctions relief should be a top priority for future peace negotiations.
Eight in 10 (82 percent) Russians say that the possibility of a nuclear weapons exchange between the United States and Russia is a critical threat, well ahead of threats from a global economic downturn (45 percent) and the NATO alliance (44 percent).
A solid majority (69 percent) of Russians say that it would never be justified for Russia to use a tactical nuclear weapon in its current military operation in Ukraine. A quarter (23 percent) say it would only be justified if the other side uses nuclear weapons first. Just 3 percent say it would be justified.

To learn more, check out the full reports, Few Russians Are Anxious about Western Sanctions, Growing U.S. Divide on How Long to Support Ukraine, Many Russians Support Negotiating End to Ukraine War but Not Letting Territory Go, and Most Russians Oppose Using Nuclear Weapons in Ukraine.