Voters Support America Leading Diplomatic Efforts Regarding the War in Ukraine
By Jessica Rosenblum
A new poll conducted by Data for Progress and commissioned by the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft reveals that voters prefer diplomacy over war in matters related to Ukraine.
Ahead of this week’s vote to approve new aid to Ukraine and in the aftermath of the successful Ukrainian counteroffensive at Kharkiv, polling shows that Americans want to see a quick conclusion to this war. A majority (57 percent) of Americans support U.S. negotiations to end the war in Ukraine as soon as possible, even if it means Ukraine making some compromises with Russia.
Meanwhile, a plurality of voters (47 percent) think the continuation of U.S. aid to Ukraine should hinge on whether or not the U.S. is involved in diplomatic efforts to end the war.
Though Ukraine’s successful counteroffensive has caused some in Washington to predict Russia’s retreat from fighting, a majority of voters (57 percent) believe that Russia’s war in Ukraine will end in a negotiated peace, not a total military victory for either side. Moreover, voters largely agree that the U.S. has a leading role to play in negotiating an end to the war (59 percent).
Additionally, when asked if they would like to see the U.S. engage in more diplomatic efforts, nearly half (49 percent) of voters think the Biden Administration and Congress should do so.
Finally, Americans have felt the economic strain caused by the war, and this may be driving their willingness to have the U.S. step up its diplomatic efforts to end the conflict. A majority of voters (61 percent) say the war in Ukraine has impacted them financially.
As lawmakers in Washington debate a new Ukrainian aid package, they should take into consideration that voters across the country also want the U.S. to step up its diplomatic efforts to bring about an end to this conflict that has caused immense human suffering and economic hardship.
Jessica Rosenblum is the Director of Communications at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft.
The Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft (@QuincyInst) promotes ideas that move U.S. foreign policy away from endless war and toward vigorous diplomacy in the pursuit of international peace.
Survey Methodology
From September 16 to 19, 2022, Data for Progress conducted a survey of 1,215 likely voters nationally using web panel respondents. The sample was weighted to be representative of likely voters by age, gender, education, race, and voting history. The survey was conducted in English. The margin of error is ±3 percentage points.