Swing state voters strongly back Ukraine aid: poll
The overwhelming majority of voters in six critical battleground states want the United States to continue offering military aid to Ukraine to help its fight against Russian invaders, according to a new poll.
The survey, conducted by the University of Maryland’s Program for Public Consultation, polled voters in the key swing states of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
The support for more military aid was the highest in Wisconsin, where 71% of voters believe the US must bolster Ukraine’s defenses.
Nevada voters had the least support, but still, a landslide 64% said they back the ongoing assistance.
In Georgia, Arizona, Pennsylvania and Michigan, support was 65%, 66%, 67% and 66%, respectively.
The key reason behind the support of US military aid is the profound belief that Russia has “violated the central principle of the UN Charter and international law that says that nations should not invade other nations,” the survey found.
The pollsters noted that respondents in favor of continuing aid believe the “US and other countries have a duty to protect nations that are attacked” or the “whole international order will be at risk.”
The results are slightly split across party lines, with more support from Democrat voters in the six vital swing states — however, there is still strong support among Republicans.
“Among Republicans, majorities are in favor in Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin (56% to 60%), while in Michigan and Nevada they are evenly divided,” the pollsters pointed out.
“However, majorities of Republicans in Michigan (57%) and Nevada (60%) find it at least ‘tolerable.’”
GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump, who spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in July, said he will end the war in Ukraine before he even takes office in January should he win the Nov. 5 election.
“Both sides will be able to come together and negotiate a deal that ends the violence and paves a path forward to prosperity,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social at the time.
He has also insisted that had he been in office when the Kremlin sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022, the war would not have taken place.
The overwhelming support for the US to continue offering military aid to Ukraine doesn’t surprise the pollsters.
“Surveys have consistently shown that, while Americans don’t want the US to be the world policeman, they do want the US to work with other countries to uphold the international order and help protect nations from aggressors,” Steven Kull, director of the Program for Public Consultation, said.
With Post wires