A recent poll indicates that Americans in both major political parties are showing less support for sending military aid to Ukraine.
The poll, which was conducted by Reuters/Ipsos over a two-day period, saw just 41% of respondents agree with the statement that the United States “should provide weapons to Ukraine,” a decrease from the 46% of respondents who agreed with the statement when Americans were surveyed in May.
Of the remaining respondents from this month’s poll, 35% disagreed with the statement, while the remaining 24% said they were unsure. Demographic details from the poll further suggest support for arming Ukraine is decreasing on both sides of the political aisle.
Some 52% of Democrats agreed that the United States should arm Ukraine, down from the 61% that agreed in May. Similarly, support from Republicans dropped from 39% to 35%, per Reuters.
The poll results follow stormy congressional discussions over whether the federal government is spending too much taxpayer money to support Ukraine in its ongoing war with Russia.
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) told reporters on Wednesday that the government should focus on domestic issues affecting American citizens.
“The most pressing issue on Americans’ minds is not Ukraine, it is the border situation and crime on the streets, and everybody knows that,” he said, according to the Associated Press.
Rep. Kelly Armstrong (R-ND) recently voted to provide aid to Ukraine but also voiced concerns over whether the Biden administration has a clear-cut plan for what comes next.
“People have had enough over here. They want to hear a plan. They want to hear a message. They want to understand what we’re doing. And there’s a case to be made. Go make the case,” he said, per the AP.
President Joe Biden said the war in Ukraine is incredibly important and that lawmakers should vote to provide more military aid if necessary.
“I’m going to make the argument that it’s overwhelmingly in the interests of the United States of America that Ukraine succeed,” he said, as reported by NPR.
“I don’t think we should let [political] gamesmanship get in the way of blocking it,” he added.
According to the Department of Defense, the United States has spent roughly $43.9 billion in taxpayer money supporting Ukraine’s war effort since February 2022.
Despite the cost to the taxpayer, one Pentagon official warned that the United States might need to spend even more to support Ukraine in the future.
“We have enough funding authorities to meet Ukraine’s battlefield needs for just a little bit longer, but we need Congress to act to ensure there is no disruption in our support, especially as the department seeks to replenish our stocks,” said Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh, per a Defense Department news release.
“We have seen bipartisan support for Ukraine in Congress, and we urge members of Congress to keep their commitment to the people of Ukraine and secure the passage of support needed to help Ukraine at this critical moment,” Singh argued.