The majority of Americans are opposed to the idea of deploying U.S. troops to Ukraine in the face of a possible Russian invasion into the Eastern European country, the results of a new poll published Friday showed.
Fifty-five percent of those surveyed in the recent Economist/YouGov poll said it was a “bad idea” to send American soldiers to Ukraine “to fight Russian soldiers.” Only 13% of the respondents approved of such a measure, while the other 33% were uncertain.
Sixty-two percent of Republicans considered deployment of American troops to Ukraine for military action against Russia a bad idea, while 47% of Democrat voters deemed such a move inappropriate.
Despite voicing opposition to the idea of a direct military confrontation with the Russians, the majority of respondents agreed that the U.S. had to support Ukraine in other ways. For example, most of those interviewed approved of imposing economic sanctions against Russia, allowing Ukraine to become a NATO member, and sending financial aid and weapons to the Eastern European state.
The poll surveyed a representative sample of 1,500 adult citizens between Feb. 5 and Feb. 8 and reported a 3% margin of error.
The Pentagon has ordered some US troops to leave Ukraine, but says it is still determined to support Ukraine’s military https://t.co/VuZRAqzgpV
— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) February 12, 2022
U.S. troops arrived at the Poland-Ukraine border in early February to assist NATO allies. Weeks later, President Joe Biden sent 3,000 more U.S. troops to Poland.
Biden has repeatedly pushed back against the possibility of sending American soldiers to Ukraine, including his Thursday refusal to deploy troops to evacuate U.S. citizens stuck in the country, which he said could lead to a “world war.” (RELATED: US Troops Arrive At Location Near Poland-Ukraine Border Amid Tensions With Russia)
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered Saturday 160 American troops already in Ukraine to leave the country and reposition elsewhere in Europe.